La Serenissima
by inexplainable
Summary: Who knew that a hole in the wall cafe in Venice, Italy, would be the place where Austin Moon truly found his inspiration? After Austin gets his chance to make the album he's always wanted to, he meets Ally Dawson...who turns his life in the Floating City right side up.
1. Chapter 1

_Austin, we heard you're headed back into the studio for your third album. Is this true?_

_I am. I'm actually headed to Europe to work with some amazing musicians who I've admired for decades...since I was a teenager. For "Three", this album is going to be completely different and not my typical sound. This album...this album will be everything you never thought you needed to hear. It's going to be slow and soothing and very, very personal. It's going to be a record that your grandparents will probably say that they grew up with and that's exactly what I'm going for._

Austin Moon was, for the most part, your typical popstar. He was tall, he was good looking, he was a guy who looked like he was plucked out of a shopping catalog by a random producer, given a song to sing and that song went straight up the charts because the producer paid people off for it to do just that. He wasn't the last part, but he was the first two. He was the popstar who was given pre-written songs that he personally, really didn't like to sing. The songs, of course, were hits though because every tween girl and their mothers liked them...or maybe it was the combination of the hot guy who was singing to them about breaking down walls and stealing hearts.

Austin Moon didn't think he was a typical popstar though. He knew exactly who he was. Austin Monica Moon, who never told anyone his middle name, was the son of Michael and Maria "Mimi" Moon, the owners of a very successful mattress chain in Miami, Florida. He was the son who, when he told his parents he wanted to be an overnight sensation and they told him he'd have a billion in one chance, worked even harder to be one. He was the son who ditched college to concentrate on his music career and the result was even better than he, his older brother, or his parents had even imagined. Deferring his education brought him an American Music Award, a People's Choice Award and several Teen Choice Awards. His older brother, Christopher, was more excited about the latter than the others...all because the trophies were surfboards, and Christopher loved to surf. His most recent honor was at the BMI Awards, when no one, not even his label, was aware that he penned the latest hit for Little Lights, an up and coming country band; and he used that to get his label to finally let him write and produce all of this new album.

Austin Moon was also the guy who was actually more into music than the media or his fans even knew. Just the way the sounds, the notes of a grand piano rolled, the ping of even a triangle and the lyrics made him feel. The slight touch of a B flat on ivory keys would put more ideas in his mind than how many cupcake recipes his fave shop in Miami had. If Austin could recall, the shop had over one hundred. He could dream up ballad after ballad with just three notes, and if you gave him a string of chords, there would be a contemporary piece in minutes. Not many of his fans, still the tweens, teens and their mothers, knew he was a gifted musician. They knew his family's names and what his favorite color was, thanks to all those tween centered magazines, but they probably didn't know how many hours he'd spent as a teenager himself listening to Mozart, Salieri, Wagner, Yo Yo Ma, Duke Ellington...or as he referred to the Gods of Music.

So, as Austin Moon popped the collar of his winter coat and braved the light snowfall in an almost eerie Venice, the sound of an old Italian opera echoed through the square and he found himself humming along to it as he walked from the conservatory and towards his favorite cafe for something chocolatey and warm. It was past ten at night on a Sunday. Since he had been in the Floating City for the past two weeks, he had learned fast that the ferries to the mainland shut down early on Sundays and that nothing was open past nine. He learned that the city almost shut down all business by eight and it took getting used to. He also learned that the main cafes, the ones with all the hype and glittering lights and too many tables that were always filled up with people weren't always the best. In fact, the hole in the wall cafes were his favorite.

Tiny lamps lined walkway after walkway, his shoes making the only noise around as he finally found the lights of the cafe he had found just a few nights earlier. It wasn't just any cafe either, this was Santoli's. He had found it by walking around in circles the other day searching and now, was the only cafe he sought out after a full day inside the school. Austin had sworn he walked around the entire island, but his mentor at the conservatory assured him he had not. Placing his bare hand on the cool door handle, Austin made his way inside and only started to take his beanie off when he saw two hands jut out from the counter at the end of the space. He smiled at the notion, thankful that this cafe was run by the kindest and possibly tiniest couple with the best hearts.

"Buona notte, signora," Austin called out, coming just around the corner to greet the elderly and still beautiful woman. "Grazie."

"Sei in ritardo, signor Moon. Ero quasi paura che non saresti venuta stasera e che avrei fatto si che ho sprecato fare questi dolcetti per te," she told him, her hands doing most of the talking for her. "Siediti e non ancora andate. Marito e in avanti e ha nuovi records per voi. Vai, vai sedersi Ally."

Before Austin knew it, he was facing another person - another tiny person that Mrs. Santoli faced him towards with the push of her hands. He liked to think that his Italian was coming along, but he knew that was a lie. He did not understand a word the woman had just said. In fact, he only understood one - Moon. His last name. His vocabulary started with _buon giorno_ and ended at _grazie_. Mrs. Santoli pushed him once more with his chocolatey coffee in his hand and a bag filled with treats that smelled like something dreams were made of.

The girl in front of him glanced up at him shortly, a little smirk curling at her lips. "You have no idea what she just said, do you?" she asked, her nose and eyes back in the book she had in her hands.

"That obvious?" he took a seat near her, digging into the bag and pulling out the most delectable treat he would ever see in his life.

"Just a bit. Here's what you do to learn fast," the girl turned and pulled a paper out of her bag, handing it to him. "Get a paper, get a dictionary and translate it."

"That easy?" he asked and she nodded in confirmation just as Mr. Saltoni came out, an armful of records in his arms. Austin got up instantly, abandoning the treat on the table to help the man. Just glancing at the amount of records got him excited and seeing the name on just the top had him elated. Gorni Kramer had been just one of the random musicians he found when he was a teen and had listened to his stuff, or what he could find on Youtube, over and over again. Actually seeing his record mere centimeters from his face was something he never thought he'd see and he almost dropped them all the moment he saw the name.

As Mr. Saltoni started to ramble about the records in the pile and almost shove each and every one in his face, Austin didn't notice the girl leave. Not that he would've, because he was too concentrated on all the music in his hands and the names that he couldn't wait to play and grab inspiration from. There was Gordi, there was Isa Bellini, Achille Togliani, Duo Fasano, even Nilla Pizzi. Tomorrow morning, the conservatory would be echoing with this music and he would have to remember to make it up to the couple who had welcomed him night after night and treated him like he was their long lost son coming home.

He warmed up with the coffee and another treat because Mrs. Saltoni insisted and he wasn't going to leave her waiting to see if he would eat it or not. Of course he would. It was delicious. He listened to Mr. Saltoni go on about the records, still not understanding what he was telling him before he gathered up a few and headed back to his temporary apartment, promising to return them soon. Although, he would love to listen to the records a million times and then ship them back to his parents, and make them hide them in his old room. Yea, he would be that guy.

His apartment was a mess. Although it was spacious and not the Italian apartment that he had first imagined, his clothes were still scattered all over and on top of every piece of furniture, bags of food were left out and not put away in the fridge and honestly, it looked like a squatter had been living there for decades instead of just two weeks. It was too late to do something about it right now - maybe he'd have some time later in the week on his day off to clean up. So, after flopping on the bed and scooting those clothes onto the floor and the blankets over a bit, he started to read the record backs, absorbing all he could. But of course, it was all in Italian.

_Get a dictionary and translate._ The girl's words came back to him then and he pulled out the phone from his back pocket, quickly searching for an online translator. He knew an online translator wasn't as good as a physical dictionary or an actual tutor to help him learn the language, but it would have to do for now. Hell, maybe that girl could be his tutor.

As he typed the words into his phone to see what they meant in English, he could already feel the beat of a song swell up in his fingers. It wasn't soft, but it wasn't pure rock either. Easy listening wasn't a genre one would ever associate with Austin Moon, but at the moment, it was all he was feeling. Abandoning his phone and leaving it next to the records he was going to sleep with tonight, he pulled out some random paper and scribbled the notes of the melody in his head. Looking back at them and hearing them come to life inside his head, Austin figured he could call this soul...or yea, this was so easy listening it would be on his grandmother's playlist. But like he said before to the entire United States of America, he was okay with that.

* * *

** Just a little something new. I was working on my main novel and this came from pictures my cousin sent me from Carnevale di Venezia. Hope you enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a good night's sleep, he decided as soon as he walked into the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello in Palazzo Pisani. It was only about a fifteen minute walk from his apartment to the square and he found himself enjoying the walk more than normal this morning. It might have been the fact that Cafe Florian's coffee was waking him up or it might have been because there were five records in his bag that would be played over and over and over again in the classroom he was taking over today. It was the same classroom that he had been in for the past two weeks. It was another home away from home.

He nodded as he passed a few of the students on his way to the room and did a full turn when the cute violinist walked by, sending her a wink that made most, if not all of his fans swoon. Austin turned back around and headed to the stairwell for the room he was starting to call his own that sat on the third floor. He downed the rest of his coffee and tossed it in the trash he passed by before waiting patiently outside his mentor's room, counting down the minutes before the clarinet class let out. He kind of had it perfectly timed.

Up at eight, coffee by nine, wander about the city for a an hour, clarinet class out at ten thirty, dive into his record by noon. Austin and Santo D'Orazio were becoming a well oiled machine as of late and Austin was thanking his lucky stars he had a guy like Santo by his side. Meeting him when he was younger in Miami, the two had struck up a friendship that had lasted all of Austin's career so far. So when he wanted to change it all, Santo was the first person he thought of to help him do it. They had three songs in the bag, well, sort of. They were written, just not recorded yet. That part, he'd have to really live in the conservatory for a week's straight and kick out the harpists who had been recording their own little album.

Austin was also lucky that Santo knew perfect English and could translate everything for him. For that, he was even more thankful for the musical prodigy, which Santo definitely was. After meeting him years ago, Austin had done his research. Santo not only taught and could play the clarinet blindfolded, but he had also conquered the piano, harp, guitar, tuba, flute, bass, trumpet, bassoon, cello, violin, saxophone, oboe and basically, any other instrument there was. Austin thought playing a trumpet in a trumpet was cool, and then there was Santo; and this was all by the age of ten. Santo had been a soloist for the Orchestra della Fenice when he was twelve, recorded his classical album at thirteen and was a chart topper at fifteen. Not to mention he was chosen for the Royal Philharmonic on multiple occasions. It was a career Austin dreamed of and only hoped he could emulate. Of course, he was older than that now, but still. Having that much talent in a pinky finger was something he'd definitely take.

Austin slipped into the room just as Santo was gathering everything and packing up. He waved to his friend and immediately lit up when he saw the record player on the top of his desk up front.

"You hit a gold mine, my friend," Santo told him, the records now spread around them on the floor in the spare classroom just across the hall that no one used. They had retreated there hours after his class let out. "He gave you more?"

"Yea. He came out with a stack of old records and I wanted to take them all, but if he couldn't carry them all, neither could I. Especially not to my apartment."

"Who else did he have?" Santo asked and Austin rattled down all the artists that he could remember...which were just about twenty artists. "If you go back, get some others. These might help you capture more of the Italian sound you wanted."

Austin nodded and planned to do just that because he did go to the cafe every night but he would love it even more if he could understand the couple who were talking to him about the music. He would love to know what Mr. Santoli thought about the musicians he was introducing Austin to, how they made him feel, what the songs meant to him and he would absolutely love to know what was in their coffee that made it so addicting. "Hey, random question. Know a place I could get an Italian to English dictionary?"

Santo laughed out loud at the blonde. "I'll get you one. Finally caving in to learn my language? Wait, is it a girl?"

"No, no girl. Well, kind of. The record guy's cafe, I met a girl there last night that said the quickest way to learn was a paper and dictionary. Plus, I actually want to know what this couple is saying to me. The wife is always saying so much."

"She's right," Santo nodded. "The dictionary girl. It's a good way."

Austin flipped one of the records out of it's slim package and down onto the recorder, being ever so careful with the vinyl of the disc. Achille Togliani was up first with his smooth voice and lyrics and in minutes, "Buona Fortuna" bounced off of the walls of the room and Austin, was in Italian heaven. Taken back to what his grandparents, and maybe even parents, would call the good ol' days, he soaked up the singer's voice and tried to memorize the words. It was a lost cause, he knew, but that didn't stop him from trying to.

It was hours before he came out of his record induced coma and finally slipped behind the piano that was pushed into the corner after last night's session. It wasn't a grand piano or even a small piano. It looked like it had definitely seen better days after being submerged in the canals of the Floating City after many floods. The wood that surrounded the instrument was a bit warped but it didn't affect the piano in any way. In fact, it gave him an even clearer sound than the very grand pianos downstairs for the performances.

His fingers warmed up the keys, a familiar melody coming out of his being. The same melody that he first mastered when he was ten. The song played on, through the ups and the downs and through all the rivers and hills and each and every season that Vivaldi had dreamt of, each and every color, every memory of how the seasons could be. Austin grabbed his bag that he had left on the floor and pulled out his notes and music he worked on from last night.

His own music didn't live up to the wonders of Vivaldi and he didn't expect it to, but the notes he had jotted down last night and was playing for the first time right now, well, they weren't bad. A tweak here and another there, he added even more notes as they came. There was a chorus and a bridge; notes just kept falling out of his hands and he was getting lost in them. It hadn't seemed like he had played for hours, but the moment he opened his eyes to check the time and see if the sunlight was still upon him, it was being blocked by passing clouds. It was way past the time he needed to be out of the conservatory.

The progress he had made on the song was good, it just wasn't where he wanted it to be. He prayed that he could get a bit more inspiration walking around the city for the lyrics. The song was soulful and real, so he needed something just as soulful. Gathering up his bag and records once more, Austin hit the cobblestone streets and embraced the city that we was going to be in for a while. He still didn't know when he was going back to the States, as his label was actually being great at the moment and letting him stay as long as he needed. Of course, he also made them a deal where he would be writing even more songs for more of their artists. Apparently having that BMI Award was the best thing that ever happened to him.

A cool wind swirled around him as he stood in the middle of Piazza di San Marco, looking every which way and watching as the residents of the city hurried off to the ferry and hoped to make it home on the mainland before dark. It wasn't completely dark just yet and the sun was setting in the distance and onto the island of Lido and beyond, onto the shores of Croatia making it one of the most beautiful sunsets he'd ever seen. The sky was not red or orange, but pink mixed in with peaches and soft yellows. It made his stomach fill up with ideas of yummy desserts and apricot peels, and the way he remembered his grandmother making the most perfect creme brulee for Thanksgiving. The colors seeped into the waters that the city was famous for and made him just stop and stare for a while.

Austin didn't know how long a sunset typically was, but he could stare at this one all day long. Pulling his music player out and slipping his earbuds in, he scrolled to his favorite playlist. Looking back up at the sunset, it was like it was coming to actual life in front of his eyes. The colors weren't just painting the sky, they were streaming like rivers as a few wispy clouds rose over them. His eyes glanced down at the gondolas in the canal as they waited for passengers, waddling in the soft waves. He knew there were people racing behind him as he leaned over the half wall to stare out at the view Venice offered him.

When he was deciding on when and where to do this new album, he didn't know that Venice would actually be this enchanting. Santo had warned him of the ghost town that the center turned into and that, combined with this sunset, chocolatey coffees and Richard Wagner flooding his ears, Venice was slowly turning into his favorite place in the world.

* * *

Today was a Wednesday. Wednesdays usually meant him hopping from place to place to keep up with Santo's crazy schedule all over the city so they could bounce around ideas and lyrics and tones that sparked something in them. Wednesdays also meant that once they finally did return to the conservatory after all of the private appointments and lessons, he was being tossed from one room to the next because of the amount of afternoon classes that extended into the middle of the evening. He didn't mind, but if there were lyrics in his head, and a tone, and even better, an actual song he wanted to put them to, he was screwed.

So, for this Wednesday, number three in his extended stay, Austin wasn't in the conservatory, or with Santo. Instead, Austin was doing something he figured all people loved to do. He was people watching. He sat on a red bench next to an older couple with just his pad of sheet music, his camera and a warm cup of coffee from the closest cafe he could find. It wasn't as good as Mrs. Santoli's, but he wasn't looking to head across the island just for that. At least not yet.

The Campo Santa Margherita, which wasn't far from his apartment, wasn't crowded at the moment. In fact, it was kind of peaceful. Peaceful enough to people watch with ease and give them backstories that could be or could not be true. Austin had dreamt up the biggest love story he could for the elderly couple he sat beside. They were childhood friends, his mind had made up. Childhood friends who were separated by family and distance and when they reunited at school later on in life, didn't recognize the other but fought like hell to stay together after their schooling was up. It was hard and they definitely saw the worst of each other, but then again, they also saw the best. They saw that they both were giving it their all and would do anything to stay together. In his mind, the couple beside him, who were actually holding hands and watching as their young puppy played in front of them on the paved street, had given up everything for the simple life after raising five children and looking at them now, couldn't be happier.

_The world is a different place when you're in love with someone like you_

Austin wrote the words across the page of music, penning a love story for the books. One that even he was envious of. His own love stories weren't anything magical. In fact, his love life was pathetic compared to anyone's really. He had had only one serious relationship and that was in high school. After they had parted ways, it was a fling here, a fling there and bribing any of his closest girl friends to go with him to carpet events. The press usually spun the 'Are they or aren't they?' stories around them and he knew that they hadn't minded, but he sort of had. He wasn't there because of a relationship, he was there for the music. It was only just one of his pet peeves with press. Asking about his private life would always be off the table and he would never discuss it in any sort of detail. He would shoot down more questions about his so-called relationships during his interviews than the reporter had questions about his music. Austin was determined that the next relationship he did have, whenever that would be, would be hidden from everything that his life as a musician brought.

Austin brushed those thoughts away. Between writing and composing and trying, emphasis on trying, to learn Italian, a relationship was the farthest thing from his mind. Although, he wouldn't say no if that cute violinist at the conservatory tried to chat him up. He wouldn't understand anything she was saying, but he would not say no to her. She was blonde and had the greenest eyes he'd ever seen; not what he imagined when you envisioned a stereotypical Italian girl.

His pen back on the paper, lyrics spewed out of his hand and a love story was coming to life on the sheet. They didn't rhyme like his normal songs did. It wasn't a guaranteed pop hit and this was what he wanted. He wanted the music and the lyrics to be one and to tell a story and be...real. He wanted it all to be real. He wanted his fans to love the music like he did and appreciate it because it was real; not because it was sugary pop and going to soar straight up the charts.

_The world is a different place when you smile like a jewel in the sun. __I can't believe I didn't realize that you were the only one._

The words kept coming and Austin soon found he had three verses full of a love story that he would actually love to have. It was a love story that could sweep you away and make you forget every type of worry you'd ever have. He kept writing, not sure if he actually wanted the song to end. Words upon words took over the papers in his hands and he was almost worried about running out of it before the morning was over. Glancing up randomly, he saw that the couple had left him and a parade of young girls were crowding in a circle just ahead of him.

He knew they weren't fans, because if they were, they'd be closer. Since his career kicked off, and he had toured not only in the United States, but Europe and South America as well, he'd gotten to know how his fans worked. If they wanted to say hi, they'd wave. If they wanted a picture, they'd be in a line, and if they wanted him to sing, that's when they were mobbing him. These girls in front of him, well, they were older and hollering at another who was running behind and trying to catch up. Unlike the blondness of her friends, this one was a brunette and much shorter than the others as well. The taller friends were saying so many things in Italian at once, he wasn't even going to try to decipher any of it.

Austin pulled out his camera that sat on the bench by his thigh and quickly snapped a photo of the girls in front of him. Maybe he could use them for inspiration, or maybe just remind him once he got back to the States that Venice girls were definitely hot. Both, he'd go with both options. He pulled up the sleeve on his jacket and glanced at the time on his watch. It wasn't late in the day and he was definitely getting hungry. Sticking the papers in his bag and grabbing his camera once again, Austin made his way out of the square and made sure to get one more shot of the group of girls and their petite brunette friend.

_I get pushed aside when you move on with your life..._and there was another song in his head. Number five out of thirteen he needed and he stopped, listening to his head as the lyrics came. Pulling his sheet music back out, he scribbled them all down, crossing out the others he had written earlier. This was it. This was the song that he'd been looking for all day and night and the one he now wanted to record straight away. Screw eating something, he had to get to the conservatory for a piano, and a guitar and even a cello. His pen wrote the title on top, running out of ink at just the right time. _Promise Broken_.


	3. Chapter 3

"I know, I know. I'm late and I'm sorry." She didn't know why she was apologizing to the women in front of her. Coming straight from Ca'Foscari, she had ran most of the way over bridges and canals to meet them on time. The women, who she had come to think of as her older sisters, knew how her schedule went and making her meet them right int he middle of her second lecture hall was just cruel.

Ally Dawson, who looked like the odd girl out in a mess of beautiful blond bombshells, double checked that everything that she had put into her bag was still in her bag before having her arm snatched by Vittoria and making her keep up with the group as they got going. Ally, a student at the famed Italian University was in her final year of her fellowship and staying with the women's parents, Silvana and Benedetto Nicoletti. They were a good family, a great one if she was comparing it to her own.

Since she had graduated from Columbia University in New York, Ally didn't feel she was done quite yet and seeing the opportunity for the amazing program at Ca'Foscari, jumped at the chance and she was glad she did. Her Ph.D program was a mixture of Italian Studies and Management and she already had an amazing job lined up after her graduation in the spring. Staying with the Nicoletti's made everything about her studies that much easier...especially because they were patrons of the university and knew each and every one of the professors and administrators there. Not that she ever used them to get her way...okay, it was once...but it was good to know that they would do that for her.

The Nicoletti's were actually quite famous in Venice. She found that out the first year she came to stay and there was a line outside the door to get into her temporary home. The family had been famously attached the the War of Fists in the 1600s against the Castinelli's. Benedetto was a direct descendant of the family members who survived the fights that turned into bloody massacres by the 1700s and had a mini-museum in their home to prove it all. As the couple were older now, running the museum was their only job. Before though, Benedetto had a successful fishing business that his sons still carried on and Silvana, a dress maker. In fact, she was possibly the best dress maker in the Floating City, as far as Ally could tell. She had been "retired" for years, but Venetians still sought her out for their garments and she was always measuring up some friend for a new dress.

This time however, Silvana wouldn't be doing 1,000 dresses for the upcoming Carnevale. Instead, she'd only be doing eight and that's exactly why Ally had been running to meet all of Silvana's daughters. Today was the first day that their Carnevale planning began...even though there was still a full month to go. Ally had stayed with the Nicoletti's before during a semester abroad while she was at Columbia and she knew that this was the drill. The family really went all out with their costumes and while she had been excited her first time around, this time...it was just in the middle of major papers and lectures and getting her thesis done. In truth, Carnevale could not come at a worse time.

The first year she had participated, Ally was recruited by the family as the "ugly" swan in their group presentation, and it was fun. This time, the family had already decided what they would be going as and the youngest daughter, Gianna, was heading it all up. Along with her sisters, Seraphina, twins Paola and Mercede, and Vittoria - they would be going as a bouquet of roses for Il Ballo del Doge, the elegant and exclusive masquerade ball. Gianna, who was following in her mother's footsteps as the dress maker to know and go to in Venice, had all the plans in her hands and while Ally was itching to find out just exactly what she would be wearing, she was more concerned at this moment of what she was missing in her lecture.

"I don't want to wear red, Gianna," Mercede insisted in her broken Italian accent. "Make Paola wear red."

"No. I'm blue. I'm always blue."

"What about yellow? Can I be yellow?"

As Gianna tried to give her sisters the colors that they wanted, Ally walked beside Vittoria as they arrived at Silvana's old shoppe. Ally's mind broke away from the lectures she was missing and into a world that was more mysterious then her father's new girlfriend was. That was another story for another time. Her mind was still on her lectures. She was missing out on Social Concepts and Urban Development and even though she trusted Marco, a fellow Ph.D student, to give her the notes, she still felt she needed to be there instead of here...with five gorgeous women who were going to prick and prod her with pins in moments.

Stepping into the shoppe that still had Silvana's name on it, Ally didn't think she'd never not be impressed. Silvana had owned the shop for over thirty years before handing the keys off to a close friend to run. As you walked through the shop, you could see each and every design she had made over the years. Ally's eyes lingered and her hands wiped across the garments of past Carnevales. There were ones from period themes, and others from color themes from past years and then there was one that Ally had always loved. It was stunning and the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. A deep emerald in color, it was plain on the top, with long sleeves, and came down to a belted waist before it burst into layers upon layers upon layers of sheer fabric that looked like ribbons. It was gorgeous and she had been dying to try it on since she saw the gown during her semester abroad. _One day..._

Another tug from Gianna pulled Ally from gazing at the emerald gown and towards the back where Gianna's sisters were already getting to work on pulling out fabrics that they wanted for their own dresses and Silvana was in the middle, ready for her first daughter, Seraphina, to take her step up on the pedestal for her new measurements. Greeting Silvana from behind with her sweet _buon giorno _and a kiss on her head, Ally turned back around after setting her bag down and dove into the fabrics that were up for grabs.

Seraphina had chosen the pink, Mercede the yellow and Paola the blue. That only left the mint, a soft orange and lavender left. As much as she wanted to stake her claim on the mint fabric and pull it from Vittoria's path, Ally was stuck on the lavender. It was actually a beautiful fabric with the lightest hint of lavender ever. In fact, she wouldn't even call it lavender unless it was all bunched together. She placed her hand over the roll, Ally made Gianna take note as the she wrote it down and claimed the sherbert color for herself.

Honing in on the conversation Silvana was having with Seraphina, Ally watched Gianna double team with her mom to wrap her sister up in the sheer textiles that would become one of the most gorgeous dresses to ever hit Carnevale this year, or ever. Ally picked up that the Nicoletti's were gifted around twenty tickets for the Il Ballo del Doge which was a week after the St. Valentine's Grand Masquerade Ball. For the former, there was a whole other theme which meant a whole other costume with a very different mask. Her head in her hands, Ally wanted to pull out her notes from her previous lecture to study but knew the moment she did, they'd be smacked out of her hands by one of the blondes.

"Wait, we only have twenty tickets?" Mercede questioned. "I need at least five."

"For who? Are you trying to bring those friends of yours?" Vittoria rolled her eyes at her older sister, putting the emphasis on friends, knowing they were far from her actual friends.

"Well, why can't I?"

"Perche abbiamo solo venti biglietti Mercede. Otterrete due e basta. Due per ciascuno di noi," Silvana warned her daughter, giving her straight instructions that each of them would get two tickets. Even Ally. _Wait, even her?_

Who the heck would she even bring? She had been back in Venice for almost a year and in between diving head first into her studies and into her many internships with the Italian government to help her with that job she wanted when it was all over, she could count how many friends she had on one hand, if that. Marco, sadly, was the only person she could think of. Marco, was, well, Marco and Ally really wouldn't even call him a friend. He was a colleague and study partner when she wanted him to be. But that was it. That was all it would ever be as they hadn't ever really hung out together outside of Ca'Foscari. Hell, she'd call the Santoli's more her friends than anyone else.

Ally might have been better to actually give both of her tickets to the Santoli's, the kind couple who had been giving her free coffee for almost all of the past year because she, according to Suzetta Santoli, _avere un bel viso. _That would definitely pay them back for all the coffee that kept her awake to study for her hellish tests and helped her write her thesis. Another thing that could? Having their shop declared a historic site...which she was working on. That was also another story for another time. Silvana tapped on Ally's hand and waved her onto the pedestal, grabbing her from her thoughts.

"Who will you bring Ally?" Seraphina asked, carefully placing the frame of the dress she was just measured for onto the rack.

"I hope it's not one of your professors," Paola poked fun at her.

Ally shook her head. "I'm not sure yet."

"If you're not using it..."

"No, Mercede!" Gianna snapped. "It's Ally's extra ticket. She gets to give it to whoever she wants. Not you."

"Exactly. Whoever she wants. Who's to say it won't be Alonzo, or Tina, or..."

"Mercede!" Gianna yelled at her sister again and Ally let her small chuckle escape as she saw Gianna roll her eyes to the back of her head. "Either way, we'll be having the time of our lives this year. The theme of _The Court_ is my favorite."

"What are we all going as anyhow?" Vittoria asked. "I mean, we did the swans last year and before that we were sweets, and before that we were long lost lovers."

"Siamo rose, naturalmente," Silvana, who never really spoke English, but could understand it perfectly, told them all. "Roses."

"A bouquet of roses and the guys will be the thorns," Gianna explained. "A rose of every color, with the thorns to protect them."

Vittoria took a seat on a random stool by Paola. "How is that a court theme?"

"It's not. The roses are for St. Valentine's. For the ball, we have another altogether that I'm still working on," she explained. "So, Ally, clear your schedule next week."

She nodded, even though she was groaning inside. Clearing her schedule next week was just not going to work. On top of her final management lecture, she had planned to...well, get in extra hours at the embassy. She needed to rub as many elbows and get as many coffees for the higher ups as possible to get that job she desperately wanted. It was her dream job. It was in New York and it was protecting and conserving Italian heritage there and making the city know that they had this untapped gem and Ally knew she could do it - with her eyes closed. But she still needed that Ph.D at the end of her name to really put her over the edge.

"Wait, you're bringing Vincenzo? Really?" Vittoria's voice knocked her out of her thoughts once again. _Be present, Ally_. "I can't believe you're bringing Vincenzo!"

Gianna blushed. "I don't know. I mentioned it around him so many times, I'm just hoping he'll say yes."

Seraphina sat down next to her youngest sister. "Have you seen you? Of course he'll say yes."

"And if he doesn't, he's an idiot," Ally chimed in, and it was the truth. Any guy who didn't want to be in the company of the Nicoletti's, any person, was an idiot. They were clearly the best family with so much compassion and warmth that sometimes it hurt.

"Still, cross fingers. I'm gonna ask him this week," Gianna said, pulling through one last pin on Ally to secure the abundance of lavender trimmings around her. "I love this color on you Ally."

"It's so much," she gulped, looking back at the mirror and turning around ever so slowly, as to not undo all the work Silvana and Gianna had just done. "I feel like I should be in a painting."

While the girls laughed at her comment, another daughter was up on the pedestal in seconds and Ally was impressed. They were getting this all done in good time. Such good time that maybe she would have time to go back to the university...no. No going back tonight. Tonight she was with family. Family and dresses and Carnevale plans.

Hours later, after a pink, blue, yellow, sherbert, mint and lavender dress had been framed and shaped, the Nicoletti's had Ally sandwiched in as they headed back to the square before parting ways again. As Ally walked back with Silvana to their home, she listened to her story of her first Carnevale.

"E'stato il piu grande momento della mia vita. E il luogo dove tutti I colori del mio negozio e venuto a vita," Silvana spoke, her hands becoming a part of her story. Ally listened to her the wonders of the Carnevale of the past, where not only did her designs come to life, but she ran into, literally, the man who would give her eight children down the line.

Ally had to admit, it was a magical story. Meeting Benedetto under a mask and falling deep in love during a five minute song and dance at the ball. As much as Ally loved love, she was failing at it personally. Love had been pushed aside for school and a job that she had dreamt about since performing was taken off the table during high school. Damn stage fright. She had had boyfriends, but none that she could really see a future with. Who thought of a future with a high school boyfriend anyhow? Oh, that's right. Seraphina did. So did her Mom...but looked how well that turned out for her.

Slipping inside the Nicoletti's home after Silvana, Ally quickly escaped to her room to change. After wearing her boots instead of staple flats around Venice today, her feet were screaming at her. Tomorrow, flats would be back and her feet would be on her side once again. And tomorrow, she only had one lecture hall which only meant one thing to her. Santoli's.


	4. Chapter 4

Read first: There are a ton of Italian phrases and sentences throughout this entire story. Google Translate is your best friend.

* * *

Books were heavy. Really heavy - too heavy to be carrying ten of them solely in her arms all the way from the lecture hall to Santoli's, almost ten turns and twists through the calle and canals away. _Mental note: get a bigger bag_. Pushing the door open with her back, Ally unloaded the texts on the closest table, regardless of who was sitting there. Thankfully, no one was. Brushing off the light layer of snow - did she mention it was also snowing? - Ally made a beeline for the counter and kept trying to stretch out her arms without hitting anything. So far, so good.

Looking over the new desserts in the display case, Ally didn't even have to get a word in before Mr. Santoli came out from behind the countertop and stole her away, pulling her back towards her books with a plate full of yummy concoctions and a hot, but tiny kettle of tea in his hands.

"You spoil me, Guisto," Ally wrapped her arm around the old man's shoulders, placing a kiss on his bare cheek. "Sei mio preferito."

"Qualsiasi cosa per il nostro Ally," he gave her a kiss right back. "Venite a riscaldarsi in modo da poter studiare e dirci come i nostri nuovi dolci gusto."

"I can definitely do that," Ally smiled, plucking one of the desserts from the plate and popping it into her mouth without any hesitation. Pursing her lips at the tartness, the sweet lived up to it's name. It was flaky on the outside and the gooiest of gooey inside and that was all she needed to satisfy her for the day. She hoped the Santoli's had made a ton extra and a bag of the treats was going to be waiting for her after she finally finished studying.

Ally caught up with Guisto as much as she could before other customers arrived and he told her to hit the books. And she needed to. With one of the biggest tests next week, she actually needed to study her ass off for it. It was all about the little laws and loopholes and ironclad agreements that absolutely no one used, but were still in tact. Her cup of tea was on her right, the plate of goodies in front of her and reaching to the top of the stack, Ally pulled the first book down to read from front to back again.

For as long as she could remember, Ally loved to read pretty much anything. Her favorites were always the thrillers, the books that kept you on the edge of your seat and the ones you sped through because you literally couldn't put it down. She loved those. Ally even loved the folktales and the adventures and even poetry books. The ones she could do without? The law books. They were big and heavy and well, boring. Maybe she shouldn't have signed up for Italian Studies after all...no, she wanted this job. She wanted the preservation and the fighting for the Italian community and state, even if that mean boring law books that she'd have to carry with her until she retired.

As each and every one of the desserts disappeared, Ally jotted down the important notes she needed to retain and bobbed her head along to the instrumental music playing around the shop. She nodded and smiled at the other customers as they came and left before sticking her nose back in the books in front of her. Suzetta had been by many times to trade out her kettle for a warm pot and Ally let her, taking time to think of what else she could do to repay the kind couple. Those tickets! If only she could actually get away with that. After her first fitting a few days earlier, she mentioned giving hers to the Santoli's, but Benedetto wasn't having any of it.

_You are a part of this family too, Ally._ _We want you there_. She closed her eyes at his words coming back to her. He was right of course. She considered them family just like they considered her family. But she also considered the Santoli's family and she was still going solo to both events as of this moment. She knew she had a few weeks still left, but whoever she chose to go with her had to have a costume, a mask, and...well, the stomach to keep up with the Nicoletti's. All of them.

All of the girls were taking their guys, and the sons, Dante, Lazzaro and Rico were taking their wife and girlfriends. It was only right for her to take a guy, right? If only she knew another guy besides Marco. She didn't want to take Marco, but that was all she could think of now. She was going to be dressed to the nines in one big purple gown for one ball and without a guy to help her walk, she'd for sure be tripping over Gianna and Vittoria and possibly Mercede, just to get her going. Her other costume was still being decided on and she was a bit anxious about that as well. All she knew was that she had two dates on her phone and on her calendar in her room that were marked up in red and black with bold letters that said she had to be at the balls. Not at school, and not hiding away at Santoli's. Actually at the ball.

Looking back up to the chimes of the bell, Ally glanced at the blond boy who she had seen a week ago with a beanie on his head. Light snow sprinkled his jacket, and she could even hear the soft sounds of a grand piano coming from the bulky headphones that were placed over his ears. The temperature outside was cold...too cold for just the leather jacket he was sporting. Sure, the striped Slytherin colored scarf helped, but it wasn't enough.

Ally remembered when she first arrived in Venice during her semester abroad. It was in the dead of winter, snowing more than she had expected and of course, she had brought no winter coats with her. She remembered Suzetta going into her own personal closet in their flat above the shop and coming down with it to wrap her in warmth. Suzetta had insisted she keep the coat and Ally loved to admit that she still had it. In fact, it was in her wardrobe at the Nicoletti's right now. She was kind of hoping Guisto would do the same for this guy, too. No, it wasn't a blizzard, but the with the temperature hitting below five degrees, Ally really hoped this guy had a heavier coat.

She studied the boy from her own little corner more and watched him turn off the music, pulling the headphones off his ears to rest on his neck. Then, with a beaming smile at Suzetta and a little book he had pulled from his back pocket, started to speak Italian. Or at least tried to.

"Buona sera, Suzetta," he strummed through the book. "Ho promesso che sarei tornato per piu caffe."

Ally couldn't help but smirk at the boy, and be a little proud at the same time. Looks like her advice actually helped him out - sort of. The boy followed Mrs. Santoli towards the new desserts she knew Suzetta would be loading up on him too while she scooped up another book. "Dei delitti e delle pene", bring it on.

* * *

Austin Moon didn't consider himself a sweets person. In fact, if you offered him a sweet tart or a sour candy, he'd take the sour candy. He liked the kick in the taste. But slowly, and under Mrs. Santoli's persuasiveness, he was turning into a sweets guy. There was a plate of new treats she was holding in her hand, and a coffee in his as she lead him back up to the front and to a table next to the same girl he had first seen a week or so ago. Last time though, she didn't have so many books...at least he didn't notice any books then. He had just been interested in getting his coffee and going to bed.

Mrs. Santoli made him sit down at the table next to hers and he thought he was ready for a full conversation with the gracious woman, but maybe he was overshooting. Santo had finally gotten him his old dictionary just a few days ago and he honestly, hadn't had any time to actually look at it before...well, ten minutes ago. She was going fast, too fast for him to even turn a page to find out what she was saying. He heard 'I' and 'music' and that's about it.

Austin looked over to the girl on his right, and found her holding back a laugh - a laugh meant for him. "You think this is funny."

"Very," Ally confirmed, dropping her pen on her papers after writing something down. "Non credo che sia ancora fluente. Andate un po piu lento."

"Lo so che non e. Mi piace confondere il ragazzo e facendogli ascoltare. E piu che ricevo da Guisto," Mrs. Santoli said and the girl, who's name he still had to catch, let out her laugh then. And it was a good laugh. Such a good laugh that he wouldn't mind hearing it again and again and hopefully, at something he said.

"She likes you listening to her, even though you don't know what she is saying," the girl translated. "Have you been translating the paper?"

"Uh, yea, no," he nervously rubbed the back of his neck and explained about his tough time even getting the dictionary from his friend. In between the writing songs and music and slipping into the recording studio after the jazz quartet this week, when Austin got home, translating the paper to learn Italian was the last thing on his mind.

"They have old ones behind the counter you can take," Ally mentioned just as she shut another book on her pile and pulled another one out.

He didn't know who this girl was, but he liked that she was trying to help him out with the language barrier he was struggling with. Austin squinted his eyes at her and watched as she pulled her hair over to one side. Then it dawned on him - she was the girl he saw running through the palazzo the other day. The one with the mess of beautiful blonde girls. Kind of funny that she was that girl. Of course, although Venice was famous and you could get really lost here, most people knew other residents by name and it was very likely you would run into the same people every day without purpose. "I know you," Austin leaned his head on his hand and looked over to her.

"Yes, you do. We met here last week."

"And I saw you a few days ago. In Campo Santa Margherita," he explained and watched her reach for the hot liquid in front of her. "You were running like a mad person." His comment, while very true, made her spit the liquid right back out into the cup she had at the tip of her lips. "It's true."

"Oh, I have no doubt." She shook her head in her hands, a slight pink tone creeping up on her cheeks. "I'm sorry you had to see that and I will tell you that you can blame the other women I was running towards."

Austin smirked, a little laugh coming out of him as he noticed Mr. and Mrs. Santoli conversing in a heated Italian conversation behind the counter. He turned in his seat and reached his hand out. "I'm Austin."

"Nice to meet you," she gladly took it and shook it gently. "Ally."

Ally. The petite brunette who ran like a mad woman and gave him an Italian paper was named Ally. Austin stared back at her as he let her hand go, deciding that her name suited her. It was small, sweet and filled with possibilities of what it could be short for. Was her real name Allyson, Alexis, or Alyssa? Or maybe it was just Ally. He watched her go back to her books for a minute and decided then, he liked her name, and even though he didn't know her just yet, he liked her too. She had given him a tip to learn Italian after all.

"You speak Italian really well."

Ally smiled over at him, and he felt his own mouth curving up at her attention. "Thanks. Took some practice."

"How long did it take you?"

"Not counting my high school years? About six months. Once I did my semester abroad here, and stayed with the Nicoletti's, I got even better. Learning how to argue in Italian is better than English."

"The Nicoletti's?"

"Sorry. They're my host family. I stayed with them a year or so ago and then when I came back for my doctorate, they were kind enough to let me stay again."

Austin nodded and found it extremely cool that she was doing that. She looked the same age as him and for her to be going for a professional degree in whatever it was, well, he was now intimidated.

"They like you coming here."

"Hmmm?"

"The Santoli's. They like you coming here," Ally said again, his attention coming back from her stack of books and what his life would've been like if he had gone to college. He'd still be in the music business...but maybe a music teacher or a radio deejay or something along those lines. "Suzetta, I think you remind her of her son."

"They have a son?"

"They did." Austin caught the joyless tone of her words. Had, as in past tense. "He died a few years ago. They don't talk about it much, if at all. I only found out because they showed me old family stuff last year."

Austin nodded and got up from his seat as both Guisto and Suzetta rejoined them. He reached out to help them with the plates they were holding, full of more sweets they had just pulled from their ovens. The ones he had tried were truly delicious but he wasn't sure he could survive on just their treats. Or...as he bit into one with savory orange tart...maybe he could. "Oy, this is good."

"Questo bueno," Ally translated. "Say it with me, questo bueno."

"Questo bueno," he repeated with half of his mouth full of the treat. "Molto bueno."

Suzetta smiled big at Austin. "Siamo lieti che ti piace di loro. Non eravamo sicuiri al sapore d'arancia. Ma tutti sembrano piace finora. Cosa ne pensi Ally?"

"Mi piace l'arancione. Mi piace il mirtillo ancora meglio," Ally glanced over at Austin. "I told her I like the blueberry ones even better. They're my favorite berry."

The four sat comfortably for a few minutes as the couple passed more treats around and refilled both Austin and Ally's warm drinks before Suzetta brought up Carnevale. Austin knew Carnevale was right around the corner, but he didn't know what it actually was. He remembered learning about it years ago in high school and he remembered the masks and the extravagant costumes, but that was all. He didn't know how serious it actually could get and would get.

The Venice Carnevale, that he would be looking up later at his apartment, ends with Lent and challenges people to give up something they love, most likely about food. But during the annual event, there were balls and parties and spectacular costumes. Austin had always seen the pictures in papers and online, but getting to experience it would be kind of cool. He didn't even realize he'd be in Venice for that long until just now. "So, you participate as well?" he asked Ally.

"Yea. I'm required. Part of the me staying with the Nicoletti's deal," she confirmed and started to describe what costumes she'd be wearing to Suzetta. He still didn't understand a word and made a note to pick up some of those old papers Ally had told him about before he left. He needed to learn more Italian if these conversations were going to take place. Since he wanted more conversations with not just the Santoli's, but her as well, he was definitely going to stock up.


	5. Chapter 5

Have you ever had that one friend who you keep running into not on purpose but by total accident and yet you don't really mind? Ally was certain that fate had something to do with her doing just that with Austin. By the university, by random bridges, by the ferry to the mainland...everywhere she turned lately, he was there too. But she didn't mind...not one bit. If she had to run into anyone, she'd definitely like it to be him and this was Venice. You were bound to run into the same person over and over again over the course of one day. Especially if you were always around the same places at the same times.

It had only been a week since officially meeting Austin, the musician who she hadn't known about before that day. After leaving Santoli's later that night, Ally had quickly searched him on her computer after getting his full name from Suzetta. She knew that she knew him from somewhere, but from her nose being stuck inside books for the past two years, she couldn't even tell you what Julia Roberts looked like anymore, let alone who Austin Moon, a very hot up and coming musician who was said to be _the answer to all our rock n' roll prayers_, and _what tweens dreams are made of, _was_. _Ally laughed at the last review she read before going to bed last night and even listened to some of his hits. The reviews were right. It was all sugary pop and meant for the ears of tweens. But that being said, it was the type of music she would be all into if she was still that age; and in all honesty, she had to admit that "Who U R" was still stuck in her head.

Ally slowed down her run as she rounded Piazza San Marco, bouncing up and down to keep her heart rate up as she spotted him at the ever popular Cafe Florian, which had some of the best coffee in the world. He was alone, with headphones on his ears, sheet music spread over a tiny table and a little crowd of teenagers standing just ahead of him. Ally watched them glance back and forth, fiddling with little sheets of paper and camera phones and then watched him, trying to drown himself in the music even though she saw him notice the girls.

Zipping up her hoodie over her cold run pullover, Ally pulled her own headphones out of her ears and headed straight to him, ignoring the protests of the host about waiting her turn. "Sono con qualcuno! Lui e proprio li," she argued right back, not caring about her appearance for the cafe, or him. She didn't even care about the sweat dripping down her brow. She pulled out the spare chair and sat down, even though she knew it was going to screw up her heart rate immediately.

"Hi," Austin did a double take at her. "Hi." This time a smile emerging on his face as he pulled his headphones down.

"Thanks for saving me a seat, honey," Ally said a little bit louder to sell the sight to the group of girls. "What did you order?" She eyed him, trying to get him to play the part so he wouldn't be bothered by the fans and he could get back to his music.

Austin glanced up ahead at the fans, who were starting to put their sheets of paper away. "Oh, I ordered the usual," he told her in his normal voice before he leaned forward and started to whisper instead. "You didn't have to do that. I actually like my fans."

"I can get them back, if you want." Ally suddenly felt horrible. He liked his fans - of course he liked his fans. He seemed like that type of popstar who was actually sincere about everything he said and did and when it came to fans, would do anything for them. "I'll get them back," she tried to get up when he pulled her back down.

"Ally, it's okay. They're always around and I'll get them later."

"If you're sure. Sorry about that. I just assumed..."

"A lot of people do. It's really okay," he reassured her, and pushed his sheet music aside for a moment. "I see you did your research though."

She bit down on her lip, and looked away for a moment. "Yea, I did. I got your full name out of Suzetta. I'm the stalker fan that you're probably warned about."

"At least I can pick you out in a police lineup now." Austin and Ally both laughed at the situation. "Find out anything interesting?"

"Lots actually," she admitted as one of the servers brought them a fresh pot of coffee. "I found out that you have the dreamiest eyes according to Cheetah Beat's last four years of polls, that your song 'Gimme Some' is still breaking records and you secretly love Duke Ellington. Is that one true?"

"Very true," Austin nodded. "All his songs are almost like air to me. I used to listen to them to do my homework in high school and fell in love with the era, the instruments, the lyrics. I still listen to him at least once every day, any song, any time. Just has to be once a day."

"Do you have a favorite song?"

"'Sophisticated Lady'." Austin told her without any hesitation. "It's the saxophone and it's brilliant. It's an ode to the instrument with just the lightest piano in the distance and will just take you away to any happy place. When I first heard that song, I don't think my parents saw me for a week because I was trying to replicate it."

Ally smiled at him, truly enjoying as he told her his story about his love for the Duke and his music and the way he had made Austin truly fall in love with the art of music. Austin kept talking about the other songs, 'Creole Love Call', 'Satin Doll', 'Harlem', all of them really and she loved seeing the joy in his eyes about it all. She'd file this away when she would need it. _Talk about music, Austin has your full attention_.

As their conversation continued, Ally found that Austin really wasn't the typical popstar she had pictured. Sure, the tween fans and sugary pop songs were one thing, but his passion was what set him apart. And he had a lot of passion. From discussing jazz, to classical, to the old folk songs of the south, Austin pretty much knew it all and could play it all. He could even play a trumpet through another trumpet. She decided right there that she really wanted to see that.

As he talked to her about music, she couldn't help but reflect on her own failed attempt at that kind of life. Classically trained herself, if anyone pulled out a piano or violin or even an oboe, she could play it. But after flubbing her audition to MUNY, the music school of her dreams, years ago, her life took another turn and she was okay with it. To hear Austin talk so passionately almost made her want to dive back in and start writing again. She wasn't looking to give him any songs of her own, but maybe he could give her some encouragement.

"Wait, is that the time?" Ally pulled his wrist towards her, kicking herself for not paying attention to it. They had been talking and drinking coffee together for the past four hours. Four hours of talking about music and the Santoli's and Venice...and it only made her later for an appointment that she was sure Benedetto would berate her for. "I'm so sorry to leave you like this, with no lire to pay for the coffee..."

"Ally, it's okay."

"But, I feel bad again. After scaring away your fans and crashing in on your writing session, now I'm stiffing you with the bill."

Austin laughed at her, as she stood up from the table and gave him his wrist back. "Really, it's okay."

She bit her lip. It might have been okay with him, but it wasn't with her. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Sunday? I didn't have any set plans. Just, you know, writing."

"If you meet me at Santoli's around two, I'll take you to dinner. That's assuming you don't have other plans or a date or..."

Austin stopped her from rambling on. "Good food?"

"The best."

"I'll see you then."

Ally smiled wide at Austin. This was good. "Great. I'll, yea, I'll see you at Santoli's at two and take you for the best, and possibly loudest meal you'll ever have in your life."

Walking out into the piazza, Ally turned around and waved to him before running off again towards her appointment. It wasn't that she couldn't get fitted to her masks for Carnival later on, she could, but getting to Benedetto and Silvana and convincing them to set one more plate out for family dinner would take some convincing. Well, maybe not. But it would take some sweet talk with Benedetto to let him share his cuttlefish with a new person. And she was good at convincing them for things - like staying with them again for a full year. This was just one dinner...with a gorgeous guy who she was getting to know.

Crap, this sounded like a date. But it wasn't a date at all. This was her, a doctorate student, asking a guy, who just happened to be a hot musician, to dinner. With a bunch of loud Italians. No, not a date and she was sure that after this dinner, he wouldn't be asking her on one anyway. They were the Nicoletti's after all.

* * *

He was bad. Well, not really bad, but what he was doing would probably set him back a couple of days...or weeks. He was supposed to be spending the night with Santo at the party he had mentioned the day before, where that cute violinist he had been flirting with since he arrived would be. He should've been anywhere and doing anything else but back in his apartment, going through old papers he took from Santoli's. He was in his apartment and Austin should have been at least working on and recording the base tracks for the new song he just wrote earlier in the afternoon. But once he finished it all at the cafe, he only had one other thing on his mind and it was Ally.

So there he was, on a Saturday night, inside his apartment, translating every article in the old papers with his tiny dictionary. With the promise of a true Italian feast, or so he assumed, with her host family, he actually wanted to be somewhat prepared. There was only so far 'buon giorno' and 'grazie' could get you. The one phrase he did know by heart was about music and he wasn't sure that was going to impress anyone except for Santo.

Austin flipped the page of the second paper, finding another medium sized article to translate word by word and as he wrote out what each of them meant, became even more confused. "In four bowls of soup of President? What?"

You could make an educated guess and predict that Austin did not take Italian in high school for his language requirement. He didn't even take French, or German. No, he took the language of music, of course. Austin still didn't know how he pulled that off, but using his excellent debate skills with the guidance counselor and vice principal, was able to convince them that music was the only language he could and would even attempt to speak fluently. Luckily for him, they said yes and two months into the class, he was picked up by his manager.

But now, at this moment, he really wanted to go back to high school and enroll in just a semester of Italian. He probably wouldn't remember any of it now if he had, but still. It could help him a lot. Trying again, Austin flipped back and forth through the dictionary and remembered Santo once telling him that everything is not verbatim. "There were four bowls of soup for the President."

He wasn't going to lie, he was excited he got that sentence right. Now for the rest of the five paragraphs. Austin ran a hand through his hair and grabbed a drink of the water he had beside him before continuing on. Why and who was he doing this for again? Well, mostly him. But also for the girl who ran like a mad woman at one moment and the next like a woman he couldn't help but stare at as she ran from him in skin tight leggings just hours ago. Remembering how her body looked in them was enough to inspire him for six more albums and then some.

He was definitely doing it to impress Ally. And her family. And maybe himself too.

Maybe he should just break down and use his macbook to get a few phrases to say. That would make this process easier. Memorize a few things, impress the family and Ally...yea, that would work. There was no real reason to learn all of the language, was there? Santo was writing the Italian phrases in a few songs for him, so all he would really need was something to impress. That way, he could get back to the song banging in his head instead of studying.

The song that was buzzing in his head wasn't soft or full of soul, it was actually more on the pop side. When Austin chose to come to Venice, he was looking to make an album full of songs his grandparents would listen to, and for the most part, he was doing that. Then there was a beat that came to him in the dead of night and just couldn't let go. It wasn't anything he had been wanting, but he was rolling with it anyhow. While the music came for it, the lyrics just didn't yet.

Austin made his mind turn off the music, or at least tried to as another article got his attention and he started to translate it. This one was shorter and looked easier...but knowing his luck, probably wasn't. _The things he did for a girl..._

* * *

She didn't know why she was pacing, or biting her nails, or why the hell she was so nervous. It wasn't like she was taking a worldwide popstar to her rowdy and loud Italian host family's home for dinner or anything. Oh yea, she was. After getting Silvana to set an extra plate out for the family dinner later on, Ally had also convinced Benedetto to let her borrow the boat for a while too. Instead of throwing him right into the middle of the blondes and the older brothers who loved to hassle anyone who came into her or their sisters' lives. They were the typical older brothers and while she loved that about Dante, Lazzaro and Rico, she didn't want to scare Austin right back to the States.

Ally's boots clanked against the cobblestone as she sipped on the hot cocoa in her hands that Suzetta brought out to her just moments ago and she checked the time on the bell tower that was just beyond the little square. Silvana had been in elbow deep in pasta with Seraphina and Paola working on the cuttlefish when Ally left the house and after having fifty or so meals like this with the whole family, predicted she had just about three hours until everything was ready. She usually was put in charge of the desserts, but since she was bringing a guest tonight, they let her off her duty.

Spinning around at her name being called across the way, Ally swirled around and smiled. Somehow, Austin calling her name and waving to her with a smile on his face too, was getting her all giddy. _This is just a friendly dinner, Ally. Not a date_. Taking a deep breath, she met up with him halfway and told him to go get his cocoa from inside. "I think she has about five cups in there for us."

He disappeared inside for a few moments and Ally tossed the other cup in her hand away before he returned, trying to balance one cup on top of two others. He was doing it too, taking each step carefully as not to spill any. Walking up to help him, she took the top cup from his miniature pyramid. "Thanks. I think you grabbed it just before I was about to drop it."

"Nah, you were doing pretty good there," Ally told him, taking a drink from the warm cup. "So, we have a little time before dinner. How are you with a bit of adventure?"

"Adventure? In Venice?"

"Oh, Austin. Venice is full of adventure, you have no idea," Ally started to walk away and he caught up with her as they headed towards the canal. "When I first visited here just before college, I found this underground party in the old tunnels of the city. Best adventure I've ever experienced."

"Underground parties? Really?" Austin took a drink from one of the other cups in his hand. "You don't seem like that type of girl."

"I'm going to surprise you then," Ally smiled back at him as they arrived at the boat and she stepped down, placing the cup into the dash. "Come on."

Austin raised his eyebrows at her, a surprise reaction on his face. "You can drive a boat?"

"Kind of have to in this city." Taking a seat on the passenger side, Austin leaned back and searched for a seatbelt. Ally stifled a laugh as he looked around him every which way. "Just hold on to the side. I won't kill you. I promise."

"Says the girl who runs like mad in the open squares."

"And don't forget scares away your fans. Sure you want to come with me now?" Ally teased, venturing out into the canal at the slowest speed the boat had. Benedetto had two; a gondola for the annual regatta and then this one, his speed, his eight child. Stealing it away from him for the afternoon was a fete in itself and she was glad he let her. Taking the boat past the ponte and up the Rio Nuovo towards the edge of Canal Grande and the mainland.

Glancing his way, she found him enjoying the slight breeze as they drove by the sun streamed historic buildings and past the places that no tourist ever seems to go. They tend to stick to the main attractions - the Piazza di San Marco, Santa Maria dei Frari, Ponti Rialto, the Dorsoduro - they never ventured through the other canals or other squares.

"So where are we going?"

"Well, instead of throwing you into a swarm of Italians, we're headed to my second favorite place in Venice where I can prep you about my second family. You'll thank me for it later."

Austin laughed at her as she turned south from the island city and back to the south of the mainland. She wasn't lying when she told him it was her second favorite place in Venice. San Giorgio in Alga was her thinking place and whenever she could - well, more when Benedetto let her borrow the boat - she drove out here and just relaxed. Since she was only a few months out from actually graduating and getting her Ph.D., it was something that she needed and craved. Once upon a time, a very long time ago, the island was the home of a monastery before it was turned into a prison. But now, it was abandoned. Not even the Venice police came around the place. The only thing that was still left standing was the actual prayer chapel.

Ally started to slow the boat down, turning off the engine and let it do a dance towards the dock around the tiny island. While it wasn't the coldest of the many cold days in January, it was chilly and she fastened her coat tighter around her before throwing her line onto the latch and securing it tightly. Lord forbid that she didn't do that and they'd be stuck on the island indefinitely. That would go over well with Benedetto.

"Ready for some adventure?" Another laugh was held back as she saw his expression. "Don't worry. I'm not going to feed you to the water. This is actually a cool little island."

"Where exactly are we?"

"San Giorgio in Alga. It used to be this amazing monastery in the 1100s. Lasted for centuries before it caught fire in the 1700s. What you see now is all that's left. It's not much, but it's beautiful. Sometimes when I come out here, I can still hear the bells that once chimed. But that's only if I clear all the stuff in my head that's going on," Ally went on, leading him further onto the island and into the house that stood in silence on the water's edge. "During World War II, it was used as a secret base for the Germans. They took the monastery and turned it into something it was never meant to be."

As Ally talked, Austin followed and listened to her. It was rare that someone, anyone listened to her go on and on about Italian history and buildings that meant something. She could tell you all about Venice, from top to bottom, from island to island and it wasn't the boring facts you'd get on a museum tour. They were facts and tidbits about the people who lived there, what they did, why they built the buildings. In six months time, she'd hopefully be telling everyone the facts that were in her head and preserving every piece of Italian history she could.

"How often do you actually get to come here?"

She looked back at him, as they climbed up the broken stairs to the top of the old chapel home that was missing it's roof. "Not as often as I like to."

"Woah," Austin stopped once he saw the view and went straight to the edge. "That is...wow."

"It's all about the view." And it was the truth. From the top of the building, you could actually see forever. The city of Venice sparkled like a shiny penny in the distance and beyond that you could see faint lights from Lido and the other islands around the former kingdom, and if you squinted enough, you could catch a glimpse of the banks of Croatia. But that was only if your eyesight was perfect, and hers really wasn't.

The sun was starting to drift down into the horizon, and the sky lit up with golds and ambers and yellows like no other. It was like they were in an actual amber stone and she felt a pair of eyes on her. Looking over at Austin, Ally smiled back, and prayed this was a good choice. A little bit of calm before the storm.

"So, dinner," she interrupted their silent stare. "There's going to be so much food that Silvana, my host mom, will try and stuff you with so I hope you are on an empty stomach."

Austin laughed like she hadn't heard him laugh before. It was more goofy and she liked it. A lot. "I'm a guy. I'm always hungry."

"Well, there's cuttlefish and saor, which Benedetto kind of lives on, and Silvana, she's originally from Naples, so we have the mozzarella di bufala, which I love, so if I eat all of them, you were warned," she told him, getting him prepared. "We've got insalata caprese and pizza fritta. But go easy on that. Vittoria made it tonight and she's just learning how to cook."

"How many people are going to be there again?"

"Sure it won't scare you away?" Ally asked, and saw him shake his head as he sat lightly on the edge of the building. "Ten, well, eleven including you."

"Eleven people?"

"I've scared you away, haven't I?"

He shook his head again, laughing a little as he did. "If you scared me, I wouldn't have said yes to dinner. Just, eleven is a lot."

"Big Italian family with ties to everything," she admitted, looking back out to the horizon and coming close to stand by him.

"Tell me more about your studies."

Ally looked back at Austin, surprised he was asking. Besides the Santoli's, no one ever asked her about it. Not even the Nicoletti's. They knew a bit about what she was doing, but they didn't want to know the details. They all had other and bigger things in their own lives to worry about. "You want to know? Like, really want to know?"

"Yea. It's why I asked. This is what new friends do, isn't it?"

Ally couldn't help but smile big at that. Friends. "Settle in then. It's long."

* * *

Ally had been right. The Nicoletti's were loud and talkative and tried to stuff him with every piece of food that was on the table. Austin loved it. Every single bit, especially the saor that he didn't know were actually sardines until Ally explained it to him. Normally, he was not a sardines guy, but the dish might have just changed his mind about it all. These sardines were caramelized and mixed with pinenuts and raisins and yea, he could go for another helping right now.

But he didn't, only because he was enjoying how red Ally's face was getting while Vittoria, the fifth child, if he recalled, was outing the most embarrassing story about her during her first Carnivale a few years before. Apparently, her ugly swan costume was the target of many jokes and Austin couldn't help but laugh along even though her swats begged him to stop.

"I'm sorry, it's funny."

"Fine. No sfogliatelle for you," she spat back, and brushed her hair over to the side. "You can stop now Vittoria."

"No," Vittoria shook her head, with her smile beaming back. "Mi piace imbarazzante. Soprattutto di fronte al vostro nuovo fidanzato. E'divertente."

If possible, Ally's face became even more red. "Non mio ragazzo. Siamo nuovi amici."

That's when another sister got involved. Seraphina, Austin recalled, the eldest who was married to Massimo, the guy who looked like he could just look at you and you'd be pulverized to pieces.

"Come non hai pensato di chiedergli di Carnevale. Avrebbe guardare cosi caldo in costume," she winked at Ally. Yep, her face was now a tomato.

Austin couldn't tell what they were exactly saying, but he did pick up a few new words by translating the paper the night before. He heard embarrass and boyfriend, and Carnival and hot. Stringing the phrases together would be something he'd do later on. A groan escaped her small body and she slipped her head into her arms on the table. "You okay?" He watched her shake her head as the girl on his other side, Gianna, placed her hand on his shoulder.

"They're embarrassing her. It's a ritual whenever one of us brings someone home. I got it with Vincenzo. Seraphina got it really good the first time Massimo joined us and Dante, I think his was the worst."

"Oh, it was," Laurenza, Dante's wife, confirmed with several head nods. "But I still married him."

After the clan of Nicoletti's finished up dinner and Austin tried to keep up with the conversation between them all, Ally stole him away again. Following her once again, down to the main level, they slipped into the other side of the home that to his surprise, was a museum. A little tiny museum that was dedicated to the history of the family, their contributions to the city and the War of the Fists. The so-called war was a heightened rivalry between the Nicoletti and Castinelli families that started in the 1300s. He walked around, looking at the detailed paintings and books and documents that preserved for tourists and those interested in the history of the island.

"This actually happened?"

"Oh yea. Bloody, bloody fights too. The Ponte di Pugni isn't far from here."

"You'll take me?" Austin turned towards her as she took a seat on one of the benches.

"You want me to?"

Austin nodded, coming towards her and looking at the painting behind her for a moment before down at her. "Yea. You probably know this city better than anyone else I know and I can actually understand you."

"You know that I'll make you learn more Italian if I show you. Although, you did impress me with what you said tonight."

"I tried...and failed."

"You know that saying, 'it's the thought that counts'? Definitely applies here." Ally told him. "Did you enjoy the dinner?"

Austin's eyes lit up at her question. Did he enjoy the dinner? He didn't just enjoy it, he wanted more of it. He'd been in Venice for three weeks. That was three weeks of eating whatever fresh vegetables and pre-prepared meals he could and eating it solo in his temporary apartment. Sure, he had dined out with Santo and a few officials from the conservatory when he first arrived, but eight times out of ten, it was just him in his apartment and in between strumming notes on his guitar and keyboard, he had some kind of veggie or fruit in his mouth and that was it.

The dinner was much more than just a dinner to him. It was friends, it was family, it was food and it was something he wanted an invite to every week until he left. But he knew that would be rude if he just invited himself to every one of their meals from here on out. It was nice to have the people around, even though he had no idea what half the conversation was about. It was the feeling, the warmth that he loved. It made him miss his own family a bit, especially his best friends family, which was maybe a bit crazier than Ally had pitched the Nicoletti's as.

"The dinner was great. I haven't had family around for a while and this...how do I even say it?" he paused, trying to find the right words and say them right. "Questo significava molto di piu di quanto possa dire," his voice was a bit shaky as he looked at her and hoped he got that all right. "Did I get that right?"

"Si. Un buon italiano. Benedetto liked that you liked the saor and by orders of Silvana, I'm to invite you to any and every meal for your entire stay. If you want..."

"Yes." He didn't wait for her to continue her sentence. "A million times over, yes. Thank you for inviting me."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"I loved it. I have five songs to work on and finish, but I needed this."

"Five songs? You sure you're up for me being your tour guide?"

"Definitely up for it. This city is inspiring and with the best tour guide around, how could I go wrong?"

* * *

Quick note: If anyone is wondering about the Nicolettis, here's the order: Seraphina (m. Massimo), Dante (m. Laurenza), Mercede and Paola (twins), Vittoria, Gianna, Lazzaro and Rico.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a few days since Ally had seen Austin and in between trying to get away from Marco, who only wanted to pry into the progress of her dissertation and a pre-interview with the Italian Consulate, she had kind of forgotten about the tour she promised to take him on. So when she ran into him at Santoli's, Ally couldn't stop apologizing. She was saying the word 'sorry' more than her Mom did to her when she went back to Africa for the fifth time in three years. While he had told her that it was okay and he had been busy too, it still didn't relieve her guilt. A promise was a promise and she never broke or forgot about a promise.

But nonetheless, she still wanted to show him around Venice and she convinced him to meet her at her masking appointment the day after. Giving him specific instructions on how to get there and how many steps to actually take from the conservatory where he had told her he'd be coming from, it was almost one when he arrived and she was still in the appointment.

She didn't intend for it to be this long, but apparently Gianna had changed the plans on her and instead of just one mask, she was getting fitted for two instead. There was the one for the St. Valentine's event and the other for Il Ballo del Doge. Austin walked in on her appointment at just the right time to see her whole face covered in a thin layer of clay.

"This is by far the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"Sorry," she muffled from behind the stuff on her face as it was hardening. She wasn't supposed to talk, but it was hard when she could feel his eyes on her, sizing her up and probably thinking he was out of his mind for spending even more time with the mad running woman who scared away fans and gets masks of her face done. Yea, she was counting on him running straight out of here and back to the school.

"This is how they're made? It's kind of cool," Austin pulled up a stool and watched as the mascherari kept layering the clay over her face, little by little. "How long does it take?"

Instead of her talking, Innocenzio, the masker, answered for her. "The actual masking is about an hour. Final product in two weeks. Would you like one?"

"I'm not going to Carnevale," she heard him tell Inno.

"I get many requests from tourists for one," Inno pointed out. "All the examples are behind you. We also have ready made designs you can choose from too."

Ally stayed patient and still as the silence surrounded them, her eyes darting all over the place and watching Austin as he checked out the designs that were available. She tried to imagine it in her head, Austin in a bauta or a volto mask and decided he would look insanely hot, possibly even hotter than anyone else at the event - even if the mask covered his entire face. It was all about his eyes anyway. The way the lit up when he talked about music and how the danced in the sunset.

Inno came to check on her lining and found it hardened to the bone. "Stay as still as you can," he told her and slowly lifted the frame from her. "And now you can move."

"Is it safe to kill Gianna now?" she joked with him as he placed the mask in a box on the counter. "I can't believe she sprung another mask on me." Ally rubbed her hands over her bare face once again, and stretched out all the muscles that had to stay completely still for the past hour. Craning her neck from side to side, Ally headed over to Austin's side and watched him checking out all the masks. "Think you'd like one?"

"I don't know, maybe," he shrugged his shoulders. "They are kind of cool." He turned towards her again, letting the masks and ready made designs stay on the counter. "I am ready for my tour."

Ally beamed up at him. "I hope you're ready."

"Me too. What's first?"

Waving goodbye to Inno, Ally followed Austin out of the shop, closing the door tight. "First up, since we're near, the Scala Contarini del Bovolo," she told him and watched his expression get even more confused as each Italian word came out of her mouth. "Spiral staircase. That way," she pointed south.

It wasn't long before they had not only ascended and descended the famed staircase, but also conquered the Jewish Ghettos, which had a soft spot in her heart, Isola Torcello, Rosa Salva (the cafe that she wouldn't tell the Santoli's that they went to at all), and the Arsenale. "I shouldn't even be taking you here," she had told him when he put two and two together about the shipyard and her host family.

Now on the ferry ride over to Lido, Austin had her talking about the Carnevale again. Not just about the costumes this time, but the masks, the feeling, the balls, and how the tourists looked at them while they walked the paths and they posed for pictures. In all, the family, as well as others who were hired for the annual event, were tourist attractions and although she never really liked that aspect, it had still helped her get into the consulate.

"It was a gorgeous mask, full of of tiny jewels that gave it sparkle and a feather that sprouted from one side," Ally told him about her mask for the last Carnevale. "It was the ugly duckling turning into a swan."

"I kind of can't wait to see you in this costume. I'll turn into a paparazzo around you," he joked and followed her off the ferry towards the long stretch of beach. He told her about his own brushes with the cameras living in Los Angeles and while he could live without it, he knew it was part of his chosen path. They normally caught him going into the studio or picking up coffee, his insanely exciting life. She laughed at his sarcasm as they reached the boardwalk and told him that his life was exciting.

"It's more exciting than learning about laws that no one breaks or uses, but are actually still in use," she lamented as he pulled out his own camera and took a couple of shots down the stretch of an almost barren beach. "I used to think that's where I would end up too."

He pulled the device down from his face, looking over at her. "Like music?"

She nodded. "I had the opportunity to go to MUNY, in New York. It was my dream school."

"What happened?"

"I was scared out of my audition. My hands were on the keys and I was about to play when the admissions officer started yelling and giving me this lecture on how I would actually never make it. Needless to say, I not only don't play a lot anymore, but I have this stage fright that won't go away." She could tell he didn't know what to say to her. Not many did and that was okay. She had lived through it all and now had a totally new dream that she was just months away from achieving.

"And you chose Italian Studies instead."

"It's not that big of a switch. Italy is full of so much art that it's bursting with it at the seams."

"You're right there. I wish I could hear you play."

"Maybe you will," she nudged into him as they walked on the sands. "How'd you like the tour today?"

"It was great. I had the best and prettiest tour guide on the island showing me around. We got to see this cool spiral staircase and eat these delicious little treats..."

"Which we won't be telling Suzetta about," Ally pointed out, laughing with him about it. "Think you can remember all the names in Italian?"

"If I say no, what's my punishment?"

"I'd say no coffee from Santoli's, but we both know that Suzetta will give it to you anyway."

"I know this is spiaggia," he tried to impress her. "Will that count?"

"How about you tell me what this means: Come pensi che il tempo?" Ally quizzed him, hoping that her slipping little lessons in all day was rubbing off and getting him to learn.

"Something about the weather. How is the weather?"

"How about: Si consiglia di acquistare me un gelato per prendere un tour."

"I heard gelato in there and if that was a suggestion about getting some, I'm definitely in."

"Not bad," Ally gave him that one. It was her asking about gelato. "Translate this one: Sono un po 'preoccupato perche non ho mai chiesto a un ragazzo su una sorta di data di prima, ma ho un biglietto in piu le palle per il Carnevale. Vuoi venire con me?"

She had done it. She had asked Austin Moon, the popstar, what she had wanted to ask him since after the dinner she brought him to. Now, she just held her breath as he tried to translate her ask in his head. Gianna, and Silvana, had been on her to give them a name or at least a hint that she had asked someone to go with her to the Carnevale balls and while she had dodged them successfully until now, she knew they were just around the corner from cornering her and making her talk. She was just so nervous about asking him and how to bring it up was another thing altogether. They were new friends. Springing this on him after a day wouldn't have been the way to go. _Please say yes, please say yes..._

* * *

Did she just ask him something about Carnevale? Working through her Italian in his head and he got 'nervous', 'asking', Carnevale, and 'ticket'. Wait, was she asking him to actually go to Carnevale?

"I know I'm springing this on you and I'll understand if you don't want to. I can just give it to one of Mercede's friends or something," Ally started to brush it off, her hands waving around them both before he caught them and turned her back towards him.

"So you are asking me to Carnevale...right?" Austin smirked as she bashfully nodded her head, his hands still clutching hers tightly. "I'd have to wear a mask like yours."

"Possibly."

"And a costume that makes me look like a sophisticated clown?"

"We don't look like clowns," she argued back. "But yes, there's a costume. Two actually and Silvana makes them. You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought I would ask because I actually wanted to ask you earlier but didn't know how and we only just met. But then again, you did stay through the whole dinner with every Nicoletti and..."

"Ally," Austin called her name, making her stop rambling on about her asking, even though it was possibly the cutest thing he had ever seen. He thought his brother Chris had trouble asking out people, but Ally was possibly a whole other level. "I'll go with you."

"You will?" her smile took up her entire face.

"On one condition," he pointed out, leaving her right hand, but still holding onto the left as he started to walk them down the beach again. "You have to play for me. Piano, guitar, anything."

"Those are your terms? Making me play for you for getting you in a costume?"

"Those are it. We have a deal?" Austin looked over at her again, the smile still taking over her face and he knew then that they were on the same page. But he was even more surprised when she jumped into his arms and wrapped her own around his neck tight.

There were now seven things he knew about his new friend Ally. One, she was fluent in Italian and every time he heard her speak it, he liked her even more. Two, she was smart and could school anyone in Italian law. Three, she lived with the loudest, friendliest family. Four, she knew about every single nook and cranny in Venice like it was a map on the back of her hand. Five, she could run like a mad woman and possibly win marathons. Six, she had a secret musical talent he was going to learn everything about; and seven, she gave the best hugs. They were warm and bear like and making him want to hug her all the time.

His arms wrapped around her waist tight. He really didn't want to let her go...that was until lyrics started to come into his mind and he had to. Pulling out his tiny notebook that he had in his back pocket, Austin scribbled down the words. _If I could stop the world tonight, I would. Freeze this moment in time_. _Oh, if only I could_.

Austin looked back at her. "Sorry. Had a moment of inspiration."

"I get it. I used to have those too."

"So you used to play, and write? I'm upping the terms now. Can you sing as well? You do, don't you?"

"Can I plead the fifth?"

"Not in Italy." _In a perfect sky. Hypnotized by the sound, I get lost and then found. In your eyes. _He wrote all that he could and Ally stuck by him, peering over his arm and reading them aloud. "Like them?"

"I do. It's full of hope," she smiled up at him as he slipped the notebook back in his pocket. "I have one more place I'm taking you and remember how I told you that I'd surprise you?"

"You're doing a lot of that today."

"I think you'll be even more surprised by this one," Ally pulled on his head, leading him back to the ferry that would take them back to the main islands.

* * *

Before Austin knew it, they had dropped off their belongings for safe keeping at Santoli's with Suzetta promising to stash them all in a place not even Guisto knew about and Ally had pulled him into an even deeper part of the unknown Venice; the part of the city that normal tourists would not imagine and the the part that the true Venetians stayed away from. He followed her close, to the base of another bridge on the east side of the island and after a few knocks on the side gate and murmuring of a secret password, he was pulled inside.

Austin held on tight to her hand and let her lead him deep into the lightless tunnel. A right turn, a left, two rights and another left before Austin found himself in the parties she had told him about - the ones he thought she was lying about. But they were real, very real. This underground party looked like a college rave, with lights beaming and ricocheting off the walls in every direction possible. There were so many things going on at once that he didn't know what to look at first - from the dancer in the cage in the corner, to a guy dressed like Liberace in another; and then there was the guy riding around on a unicycle. Austin didn't have time to stare long though when he felt a tug of his hand and Ally pulled him through the crowd and into a side room where the bar was. It was a bit quieter in this room with a couple of cozy couches and more paint on the walls than he had seen in his life. The space literally lit up in neon colors.

"Surprised yet?" Ally leaned up and said into his ear, probably knowing he wouldn't have heard her otherwise.

Austin could not believe it one bit. "Who are you?"

The rest of the night was sort of a blur. They talked more, they drank a few crazy drinks that he really wasn't sure what was in them, and he even met some other Americans living in Venice that she _sort of_ knew. It wasn't until a few hours later that he pulled her onto the packed and tiny dance floor in the middle of what was once a sanctuary for escaped prisoners. It was another story Ally had told him about just where they were earlier. He was in a room where escapes sought refuge and kept hidden until it deemed all safe and sound to escape the island entirely.

"So they actually lived down here and plotted their escapes?"

"Kind of, yea. There's this really cool story about this one prisoner who was caught and he actually died going back to the prison by throwing himself off one of the bridges," Ally explained. "Well, maybe not that cool."

"Are you kidding me? It is cool, well, not the way he died, but I'm sitting in a ghost story. That's cool."

Austin grabbed her hand once more as the beat was getting to him and twirled her around while walking her around the dance floor. He watched her smile beaming up and almost watching his. It had only been a few weeks that Austin had known Ally, and he was already liking her better than most of his friends back in Los Angeles. Of course, most of his friends there were in the music business and always looking for a way in or another famous name to add to their name drop lists. It didn't mean he liked them any less, but Ally wasn't like them. She was more like his Miami friends, the ones who were real and for a lifetime. Austin could see Ally in his life for that long - maybe even longer.

She had so many layers to her that he never wanted to stop learning them. On top of the Italian and her knowledge about anything and everything about Venice, he was finding out that she was full of so many secrets and surprises and he almost never wanted to stop learning. He found himself now wondering how her voice sounded when she sang, if it squeaked or was what dreams were made of.

Austin turned her back around, bringing her face to face with him and the rhythm of the music changed. It was heavier this time and he could feel it go through his feet, into his back and out his fingertips. But as he pulled her closer and had every intention of rocking with her to the pulsating sounds, he didn't. He just stared. It was like a scene from a romance movie where everyone around them was dancing and doing their thing, but the couple at the center were in their own little world. His heartbeat was pounding against his chest now and his breath was lower as he traced her face with his eyes. They traveled around the delicate curve of her cheek to her chin and he glanced back at her deep eyes, the ones that were worth getting lost in, just before flashing down at her lips. The lips that were brushed with a pink color that he bet tasted like peppermint.

The temptation to kiss her senseless right now was making him itch and he wanted, no, needed to know what she tasted like. Was it the peppermint, or cocoa, or was it something completely different like cherries or caramel or even the blueberry tart she had had earlier in the day? He dropped her hand and skimmed the soft skin of her neck and was about to lean in to find out, but was suddenly pushed away by another person who was drunk off their ass. _Damn it. Damn it. Damn it._ Austin looked back at her again, wanting to really kiss her still, but he knew his chance had passed.

"Maybe we should go..."

Whoever had broke them apart, was now on his moron list.


	7. Chapter 7

So, this is a long chapter. Sorry. I'm glad you're all enjoying this! Also, remember Google Translate is your best friend.

* * *

Austin hadn't been frustrated in a long time. The last time, if he recalled, was when his label made him record a duet with a washed up lounge singer who was looking to make a comeback, but in reality, was the most horrible person ever. She shouted and yelled at everyone and anyone, smoked like a chimney and there wasn't one moment he could remember that she didn't have whiskey on her breath. The song did well, but he had a feeling that was only because it was him and he was never the one to give himself a pat on the back about things like that. In fact, whenever he heard the song being played, he cringed.

Today, he was frustrated for an entirely different reason and it had nothing to do with that experience, but everything to do with the girl who had become Venice to him. When he thought of the Floating City now, he wouldn't think of the gondolas and the bridges, he would think of her and her rich brown eyes and the way she spoke the sweetest Italian words, trying to teach him in the process of it all. It was getting the best of him and not just since he had been sitting at the piano in Santo's classroom, but since three days ago when he saw her last. His hands physically hadn't moved in twenty minutes and when Austin Moon was at a piano, he played it. He didn't hover over it and try to cast an invisible spell to make it play for him.

He hadn't been feeling any pressure from his record label, but that didn't mean he wasn't putting the pressure on himself. Austin had completed five songs for the album, and he had at least eight more to go. Number six was staring back at him, the lyrics telling them to put them to music that just wasn't coming. He kept going back to the night of the party, when he became completely enamored with this girl, who had shown him not just a secret Venice, but a secret her. Up until that party, she was just the woman who was a friend, not the woman who had invaded his mind, thrown it upside down and pinched his heart.

It was like all of the sudden, he didn't just want to learn Italian from her, he wanted to learn it for her; he wanted to run across the island with her like mad people; and he wanted to dance with her and hold her even closer than he did before so he could feel her heartbeat against him and he'd be prepared then, pushing back anyone who even dared break them apart.

Pressing down on the keys, the sound that came out was not pretty but he turned it into something pretty with "Heart and Soul", one of the first pieces he could actually play. _Just play, Austin_. Taking his conscious's advice that was shouting in his brain, he did just that. He played, and played, and played even more, trying to get a new rhythm and sound that fit with the lyrics leaning on the stand in front of him, but they weren't matching up to what he was looking for. Pulling out another sheet, Austin wrote the new notes down, keeping them for later when more lyrics would come to him.

"These lyrics are amazing, Austin," Santo's voice and footsteps broke in on the mess that was going on in his head. "'There's a fire raging underneath, running through the pages. Here I am coming clean, I'm sick of lying to myself gotta get a little truth. And now I got to do what I gotta do'. Damn man."

"Thanks. Now if I can't get actual music to the new ones."

"Still stuck?" Santo leaned back against the edge of the desk behind Austin, and made him turn around to hand him the other lyrics.

"I want it to be alluring and all I'm getting is...well, this," Austin placed his hand randomly on the keys, pressing down a mess of notes that wasn't music to anyone's ears. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned over, his elbows on his knees. "Any suggestions?"

Santo started to hum a chord, pairing it with the lyrics in his hand and stopped before it got anywhere. He switched to another...and another, and another. Two hours had passed by and they still weren't getting anywhere. It was usually easy for him, and for Santo. Today just wasn't on their side, apparently. Then again, the past few days hadn't been kind to Austin anyhow.

"How long have you been working on this one?"

"I'm embarrassed to tell you."

Santo put the paper down. "We need coffee," he waved Austin up. "A lot of coffee."

"I've been through six cups already."

"You might not need it, but I do," Santo tugged Austin along with him despite his protests. "Plus," he continued as they headed down the stairwell, "new scenery might be good."

Austin shrugged at Santo, pulling on his jacket as they made it outside and walked over to the nearest cafe. It was a busy little shop with more music students and tourists than Austin tended to like. On top of that, it was tiny. Whenever he came inside, which was only when he was really needing coffee, he felt he not only had to duck down but he also had to slide and squeeze his way to the counter.

The line moved slow and with every inch towards the register, Austin tapped his hands over and against the counter top. Looks like Santo was right, the scenery helped. The tempo was there and remembering the lyrics in his head, matched up. Austin pulled out the notepad from his back pocket and scribbled all the notes down that he could, taking up several pages. He didn't want to move an inch but the people around him were making him do just that, and he bumped into the person trying to get out of the shop.

"Crap, I am so sorry. Mi dispiace," he started to turn around and help the person and lit up when he actually knew who it was - Gianna.

"Ah, Austin, right? I see your Italian is coming along better."

"I'm working on it. It's good to see you."

Gianna smiled up at him. "You too. What are you doing in this shop? I thought it was Santoli's for you and Ally."

"Usually is," Austin admitted and if Santoli's was closer, would be there right now. "Santo and I needed a break from the conservatory." He motioned to his friend who had finally made it to the register.

"That's right. Ally told me about your music," she sipped on her coffee. "Oh, I heard that you'll be joining us for Carnevale."

"Wait, what is this?" Santo came up beside the two, handing a small cup to Austin and picked up the Carnevale bit. "You're going to Carnevale?"

"He's going to be our Lost King."

After introducing the two to each other, Austin listened as they went back and forth in Italian, and left him lost in the conversation. He did pick up bits and pieces - the parts about their careers, a party and the not so subtle drops of his and Ally's names. After agreeing to meet Gianna later at her parents for his own fitting, he found Santo staring at him with a know it all smirk. "What?"

"Carnevale, really?" Santo let his chuckle die down into his coffee as he drank it. "I'm assuming that this girl is also the one turning your musical brain into goop, right?" Austin didn't say one word to Santo, which said just about everything. "Tell me about her."

"Her name is Ally," Austin started and then started to ramble off everything he knew about her. He knew that she was incredibly smart, and used to write music herself; he knew she knew everything there was to know about Italy, and he knew it now drove him crazy when she flipped her hair to the left side. He had no clue why, it just did. He told Santo about the tiny tour she took him on days before and their visit to the island before that, and then Austin told him about the underground party and how it changed everything he felt about her.

"Definitely messed with your musical brain."

"You have no idea," Austin muttered as they walked back into the conservatory. "Now, I just can't think about anything else but her."

"So, use it," Santo advised him as they passed the jazz quartet who were preparing for their concert in an hour. "I've seen you write songs in three seconds about hot dogs, Austin. You can definitely write a love song about this woman who is turning everything in your world upside down. Write about the surprises, the secrets, the world through her eyes. Those are the tracks your label is going to bananas over."

Austin thought about Santo's words and he knew he was right. He should write about those things and he had tried - his apartment wasn't full of crumpled up papers for nothing. "You think I haven't tried?"

He had tried so much. But until later tonight, when he would most likely see her at the Nicoletti's, he'd just have to wait to see if she inspired him more...or, if she could dig deep into her own musical background and help him. Austin wouldn't mind that one bit, actually. Sliding back onto the piano bench as they re-entered the room, Austin started to play the notes he had scribbled down in the coffee shop while Santo grabbed a seat in his own chair behind the desk and listened and shook his head against the tempo.

"Make it faster," Santo said, reading over the lyrics he had placed on his desk before they left and sang them along. "Da da, da da, da da," Santo started to drum the beat on the desk as Austin played.

"_If I could stop the world, tonight. I would. Freeze this moment in time. Oh, if only I could_," Austin took over the lyrics, singing them out to the updated beat of the music and in between the chorus and verse, he beamed wide. Maybe he would get this song done today after all.

* * *

Her eyes were dry and tired, but weren't moving away from the papers in her hands. She has trying to re-memorize every word she had written down in the two hundred and sixty two page thesis she was due to turn in next week. She was confident in what she wrote, but she just needed to read it for the sixteenth time just to make sure everything was in order and it would give her those initials she had been after for years. Re-familiarizing herself with all the little laws and issues about the Venetian prisoners in the 1500s, Ally found herself silently reading the paper word for word as she was poked with pins on a pedestal.

Standing in the middle of the drawing room, Ally let Silvana do her thing while she studied and hadn't even looked down to see what the dress was looking like. Ally had done this many times for Silvana, as she created dresses and garments for many of her friends and tonight wasn't anything different. There was a soft Italian sonata playing in the corner on Benedetto's record player and Silvana hummed along. If this wasn't the 21st century, and Ally was reading a book of etiquette instead, this couldn't been a scene out of the 1800s. Silvana made her turn just a smidge while she flipped the page, thanking her lucky stars she hadn't caught a typo yet. Two hundred pages down, sixty two to go.

Her oral presentation was this week and she timed it just so because of Gianna's insane Carnevale schedule. The youngest Nicoletti daughter was certainly on top of things, Ally mused. Not only had she pre-scheduled Ally's presentation for her, but Gianna had given her a strict schedule to stick to - fitting tonight, makeup tests tomorrow, presentation on Friday afternoon, dance lessons all weekend long - she had even scheduled in time for sleep. Ally loved Gianna to pieces, but she was taking this Carnevale to an extreme.

"Sono qui!" Speak of the devil. Ally glanced up to the blonde woman who entered the home, quickly kissing her father and her mother before stepping up on the pedestal and giving her a hug as well.

"Finalmente. Cominciavo a pensare che non avrebbe qui e avrei dovuto fare questo tutto me stesso," Silvana told her daughter and Ally had to hold back her laugh. Silvana was right. Gianna was running late, but Ally hadn't noticed one bit.

Gianna quickly apologized. "Siamo spiacenti, mamma," she said and gave her a good reason. "Ho avuto un incontro presso la banca che ha investito e mi sono dovuto fermare al negozio prima di andare a vedere Inno sulle maschere. Si sta andando ad amarli."

Silvana nodded and quickly told her about the food in the kitchen that was still warm. Gianna got herself a bowl of soup and took a seat on the sofa, pulling her shoes off after a long day.

"Is that your thesis?" All Ally could do was nod at Gianna as she flipped another page, typo free again. "Oh, guess who I ran into today?"

"Hmm?"

"Your Lost King."

Ally stopped her reading and brought the papers down from her face. "My Lost King? Austin? You ran into Austin?"

Gianna nodded. "Sure did. He'll actually be coming here tonight."

"What?!" Austin was coming. Here. Tonight. Cue her freak out now.

"He's got to get fitted to his costumes. He still is your date for this all, right?"

He was, Ally had to remind herself, all while nodding in confirmation. As Gianna told her about running into him at a coffee shop, Ally was having a freak out in her head. She really hadn't spoken to him since the underground party and their almost kiss on the dance floor. She had parted ways with him at Santoli's later on after grabbing their things Suzetta had kept safe for them and on their way there, they hadn't said a thing. The day had been one of the best yet for her and showing him around the city she thought of as her second home was amazing. She had finally found someone who would listen to all the facts, figures and little quirks in her mind, who found it charming that she knew these things.

She wasn't one to really call a day lovely, but that day, with him, was. It was simply lovely. They had started in a mask shop where he had saw her turn into a marble statue for a half hour before she pulled him all over the island city and then on a ferry over to Lido. They spent hours on the barren beach, talking about Venice and practicing his Italian; even talking about music for a while before he was struck by inspiration and wrote almost an entire song while the cool wind blew around them and she reflected on her own musical past that she had only realized she actually missed.

And then, the underground party came. She wanted to surprise him and surprise him she did. Taking him to the old prisoner sanctuary was probably a mistake, but she'd definitely make that mistake again. When she first stumbled on the underground parties, she was in her final year of her fellowship and tipped off by Rico, who was still living with his parents at the time. She had needed something young, and fun, beyond the walls of the family's museum and definitely beyond the walls of Ca'Foscari, so she followed Rico one night and was instantly immersed. Ally thought Austin might enjoy it too...and he did.

He liked the stories she told him about the building, and the dancers around the rooms, and even the drinks they were serving at the bar. Beyond the typical Bellini and Negroni, they were fun drinks with old liquors mixed with shots of gin and vodka. He also liked the guy who was playing piano in his crazy costumes. Pete, as he called himself, was at every party, if she understood right and in a different costume every time. Then the music changed, and Austin started to dance with her...and things changed. The moment he held her hand at his chest and she felt his heart beating just as fast as her own. The tempo was fast, just like his heart and the moment he leaned into her was the moment she felt herself wanting more; more than just friendship.

She knew it was foolish to even think of because he was Austin Moon, the popstar that millions wanted all over the world, and he wasn't here indefinitely. It would only be a few more weeks until he was gone, just like she would be. Ally didn't want whatever they could have together to just be a fling, a little fling that happened in, in her opinion, the most romantic city in the world. It was that moment that she was cursing whoever the person was drunk off their ass that broke them apart. If he had kissed her, she knew she would've kissed right back. When she had finally gotten home that night, all she could dream about was their almost kiss and how it would actually feel.

"Ally, are you listening?" Gianna's voice broke through her thoughts again and Ally turned towards her. "Stei bene?"

"Bene," Ally told her, but her eyes and frozen stature were tell all signs that were saying everything but fine. "Whe...when is he coming?"

"I told him after seven. You sure you're okay?"

"Still fine, Gianna."

"You're acting really weird though. Did something happen between you two?"

Ally felt a more pins go into her side as Silvana placed a stunning beaded section on the sweetheart neckline. It sparkled like nothing she had ever seen and only hoped she could pull this dress off. Holding her arms up as Silvana did the bead work, Ally murmured under her breath about the almost kiss.

"Wait, what was that?"

"We almost kissed."

"And you're just now telling me this? Ally, this is good news!"

"How is this good news?"

"Because you're you and you need to get some and he's Austin. You two are adorable together. Even Mom was saying it after he joined us for dinner. Non e vero, mamma?"

Silvana nodded, taking another pin out of the cushion strapped to her wrist. "Certo. E' bionda, sei bruna. Lui ti guarda con meraviglia. Voi due potrebbe fare una bella coppia."

Ally wanted to face palm. She would sacrifice a few pin pricks for it. But instead, she just shook it, with her eyes closed shut. "As much as I would like to believe that. He's only here for a few more weeks. I don't want to start something and fall hard only to have my heart torn in pieces when he leaves."

"But isn't that the allure of it all? You'd have this love story made for the books," Gianna fantasized and pulled out her sketches of the dresses from her bag, grabbing a few things from her mother's stash of adornments to help out. "You're leaving here soon too. You exchange numbers, emails, keep in touch. Just because you start something here, doesn't mean you have to end it here too."

"It's just...complicated."

"Ogni storia d'amore e complicato, mia cara," Silvana spoke up, slipping the extra beading over Ally's shoulder just as all of them heard the bells chime throughout the home. "Benny," she told her husband, "andare a prendere la porta, per favore."

Ally slipped her arms down, watching Benedetto walk off with his paper still in hand to let who she only presumed to be Austin, inside. Looking down at the dress she was being fitted for, Ally only now realized the color. _Crap, now he's going to think I'm getting married. _Footsteps echoed in the hallway that lead up to the main floor and she could feel all her nerves bottle together and make her even more anxious. The last time she had been this jittery about a guy, or anything, really, was in high school. It was the talent show and she had signed up for it before fleeing on her audition to MUNY. She had tried to go out on stage, but it didn't happen. She sat on the piano bench for a mere second, behind the curtain, before bolting off. That was the last time she was ever on stage for music.

Gianna snapped her fingers in front of Ally, breaking her thoughts once again.

"Aletta, mi e necessario smettere di farlo stasera. Bisogna fare attenzione perche tutto va bene con il tuo vestito."

"Siamo spiacenti." Ally offered her a small smile, and prayed to God that Austin hadn't picked up her full name. "Hi."

"Hi," Austin greeted her with his own smile and she scolded her nerves for making butterflies pound against her stomach. "That's some dress. I hope mine isn't as extravagant."

Ally held back her laugh. "Oh, just you wait."

"She's joking, right?" Austin looked nervously over at Gianna, who showed him the designs and saw him take the biggest gulp she'd seen this week. Austin glanced back up at Ally once more and she let out a laugh at his expression.

Ally helped Silvana spread out the layers of the dress around her while Gianna got Austin's measurements. "Oh, you are going to look so good as the Lost King," Gianna got excited, writing down each number in her notepad.

"I'm a little scared now," he admitted.

"Don't worry," Gianna assured him. "We have two balls. The first is St. Valentine's where we're all going as a bouquet of roses. You, along with my father, and brothers and brother-in-law will be the 'thorns'," she started to explain to him. "The other one, is a week later and the most prestigious ball of the season called Il Ballo del Doge. They have a theme and this year's is The Court."

"Voi due fara la regina piu perfetta e cavaliere," Silvana told them.

"You'll be the Lost King to Ally's White Queen. All of us will be in the purest white costumes and you'll be in black and candied red, bringing the color to her life," Gianna stopped, noting the measurements and making adjustments on her notepad. She turned back to her dad, who had fell back into his chair and was still reading the paper from front to back. "Papa, posso prendere in prestito uno della giacca? Voglio vedere se lui andra bene?"

Once Benedetto nodded, Gianna raced upstairs for one of his blazers and Austin looked back at Ally. She helped Silvana spread the skirt of the dress out, watching as it bunched in just the right places and from what she could tell, really did look like the most beautiful wedding dress ever. "How have you been?" she asked, a bit timidly.

"I've been alright. Been having some trouble on some songs though," he placed his jacket on the sofa and turned back to her. "You?"

"Alright." Why was this so awkward? In an ideal word, also known as her mind, she would go up to him and kiss him, getting the awkwardness out of the way and everything would go back to normal. But this wasn't in her mind. This was real and he was in front of her, while she was wearing a wedding dress. "Why the trouble with the songs?"

She watched him sheepishly smile away from her, running his hand through his already messy hair. "I think I was still trying to get that party out of my head."

"Va bene, scendere e andare a piedi in giro per la stanza," Silvana pointed around the room, holding on to one of Ally's arms and helped her down the pedestal.

"Non ho bisogno le scarpe?"

"Ah, si, si," Silvana left her side for a moment and grabbed the pumps from the box that sat just beside her sewing supplies. She opened them up, pulling out both of the clear heels from their protective sleeves. "Puoi aiutarmi?" she looked up at Austin, handing him one of the heels. They were beautiful, with the actual heel and the back strap glittering with sequins; the sides that you could see were a light material in the softest rose color before going completely clear.

"Sarebbe il mio piacere."

Ally's mouth dropped a bit in delight. "You're learning."

"I did have some help." Austin knelt down in front of her as Silvana helped Ally grab the ends of the dress without unpinning anything. He carefully took the back strap and slipped it over her heel as the sole covered her foot.

Ally let out a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding in. _Major Cinderella moment_. She really wasn't much for fairytales, but she was sure every girl dreamt of that happening to them and she wasn't any different. She was suddenly actually the lost princess to his prince and once that slipper was on her foot, they'd live that happily ever after life. Then Ally remembered that Cinderella stories were crap and there was no such thing as happily ever afters. It was hard work and staying together was something not everyone was meant to be - like her parents.

Looking back up at him, she placed her heel on the ground and saw him get ready for the other one. Silvana held her elbow gently and she lifted the rest of the skirts up, her bare toes sticking out from the edges. The next shoe slipped on her foot with ease and she adjusted her stance, praying for her clumsiness to disappear for the night. But apparently, it didn't want to take a night off, because just as she took one step, she stumbled over the edge of the dress and fell into his arms.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized and looked up at him as he helped her. They were close again; close enough for him to see the rosy blush creep on her face and close enough for her to know he smelled good - really good. "Thanks for catching me."

"Anytime." Austin stared down at her, almost to the point that she was losing track of time before Gianna came back and he backed away a bit.

"Here, try these on. I think you may be the same size as my dad, which would be perfect."

* * *

You know those moments where you see someone across a room and can not just tear your eyes away from them? They make you do a double take and you just keep staring because you're enamored. All you want to do is race across the room and greet them with the biggest hug possible. That was the state Austin was in right now. He had exchanged pleasantries with Benedetto and the moment he set foot in the drawing room, it was like there was a spotlight on Ally and it wasn't going away.

The dress she wore was gorgeous and impressive and over the top - exactly how he had imagined the costumes for Carnevale to be, but to see her in one, he just couldn't look away. She deserved to be on that pedestal and have roses thrown at her for looking so beautiful. He tried to play it cool around her and was doing good, up until she fell into his arms and all he wanted to do was kiss her. He didn't care that Silvana was staring at them or that Gianna was coming down the stairwell like a stampede of wildebeest.

He felt Gianna pull him out of her arms and slip on one of her dad's blazers, which were to her disappointment too big on him while Silvana made Ally walk slowly towards the sofa, making sure the dress wasn't too big around. He stood still, watching her while Gianna made adjustments on the jacket before pulling out more fabric from a closet by the door. Blinking and giving his attention over to Gianna again, he was surprised at the magic of this place.

"So, when you said fitting..."

"I really meant a fitting. Arms out."

"Perfetto, Ally. Ora abbiamo bisogno di assicurarsi la possibilita di valzer in questo. Benny, vieni a ballare con lei," Silvana went over to her husband and pulled him up, bringing him next to Ally and resetting the player in the corner.

Austin recognized the 3/4 time signature from playing it many many times during his piano lessons when he was younger and watch as Benedetto framed Ally's stance and guided her around the floor - stepping on her dress and her on his toes in the process.

"Deve essere Austin, mamma," Gianna called out behind him and tapped on his arms so he could put them down. "Papa non sara ballare con Ally al ballo."

Ally spoke up then and he tried to decipher it as best he could. "Non vorrei dire di no se Benedetto mi ha chiesto, pero." She wouldn't say no if he asked her to dance.

"Ma tu sei la Regina Bianca, e balla solo con lei perso Cavaliere," Gianna argued back.

"Chi lo dice?"

"La leggenda," Gianna told her. "Non si scherza con i miei piani Ally. Ho una visione."

He saw Ally roll her eyes. "Tu ed io sappiamo no c'e leggenda della Regina Bianca. Non ho bisogno di ballare sempre con Austin...e come la Regina Bianca, dico che posso ballare con chi voglio."

Now that, he understood perfectly. "What's wrong with dancing only with me?" Ally bunched up the skirt of the dress and took careful steps towards him. "I promise I'm not the worst dancer in the world."

"You aren't, but I am. Plus, I am the Queen and you, as my Knight, according to Gianna's legend, are late," Ally poked him in the chest.

"Still, as your Knight, I will request that you wait for me and dance with no other," Austin played into the so called legend that Gianna made up strictly for Carnevale.

"But say I meet the most romantic guy there and you're late, I have to say no?"

Austin laughed at her. "Yes, you have to wait. Plus, you can't even see his face behind the mask."

"I don't pick who I'm attracted to based on what they look like," Ally pointed out, getting some help from Silvana and him as she stepped back onto the pedestal.

"I'm glad you don't. Neither do I." He never had. "If I'm doing this, you're only dancing with me." Ally stared back at him and he couldn't tell if she was mad at him or shocked that he was telling her not to dance with. He hoped it was neither and she was actually liking that he was being the stereotypical jealous boyfriend type.

Silvana made a few adjustments on the length of the dress and Gianna draped few fabrics over his shoulder for a custom cape he'd be wearing in only a few weeks' time.

"Danza," Silvana told them both as Ally came down to the floor again. "Ballare con lui, Aletta."

"She wants me to..."

"Dance with you," Austin finished off, hoping she would notice how good his Italian skills had actually gotten. He held out his hand for her, letting out a low breath he didn't know he was holding in as soon as she slipped her fingers in his palm. He hadn't ever been this nervous before...not even with his high school girlfriend, Jamie. Jamie and he were young and silly and that typical high school relationship you knew wouldn't last beyond those walls. But that didn't mean he still didn't miss having it. She was a great girlfriend and they had bonded over how actually different they truly were. He was the music guy, she was the sports girl and they were bonded by their mutual crazy friend Dez, the guy who wore ridiculous outfits and filmed anything and everything going on around him. He even filmed the part where he and Jamie shared their first kiss after her winning the championship game with her volleyball team. But he had never been nervous with Jamie. It was always straightforward.

Now, with Ally, it was a different. He was nervous, because Ally was more like him than he probably realized. She was musical, she was nice, she was carefree to a point, she was compassionate, she was a storyteller, and as he pulled her close with his hand around her waist again, she was a not so amazing dancer. "Do you even know how to waltz?"

Ally pressed her lips together, spitting out a 'pfft' in the process. "Of course I do...kind of..."

"Define kind of." They had only been dancing a few minutes and while she hadn't stepped on his own toes yet, she was stepping all over her own. Maybe it was the heels. "Okay, stop," he backed away for a moment, and framed her out once more before stepping back in. He clasped her hand tight and his right hand resting softly on the fluffy material of the gown. Making sure her hand was clutching his shoulder, Austin counted out the beats with the music. "One, two, three, one, two, three," he moved their bodies along. "Look up at me, not down or around."

Austin stopped counting aloud, locking his gaze with Ally while they completed a few successful box steps. He had drowned out Gianna and Silvana's conversation behind them and was focused solely on her, on them. He didn't know what her final costume would actually look like, but he could imagine her all glammed up, her hair in soft waves and a mask covering most of her beautiful face except for her eyes. The same eyes that were lighting up as they circled around the room and flickering with gold as the ceiling light hit it every other minute. They were eyes he was getting lost in and despite the old sonata in the corner being the soundtrack for their dance, a whole new melody had erupted in his mind. Their melody.

"I'm going to twirl you now. Step with your right foot inside, crossing over your left," he instructed her and let her arm twist in the air before bringing her back into his arms. "Perfect."

Austin heard Silvana's claps from where she watched with Gianna. "Perfetto! Cosi bello." And he agreed. It was beautiful.

* * *

An hour or so later, Ally had changed out of her ball gown and traded it for leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. She didn't look like a slob, just someone who was very comfortable. Knee socks covered her bare feet and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail as she walked down the stairs and breathed a sigh of a relief and gladness when she saw Austin still there. He was kneeling next to Silvana, helping her clean up her sewing supplies while Gianna packed up her own and practiced the Italian he did know. She heard him talk with Silvana about his costume and his excitement for Carnevale, getting some help from Gianna along the way.

Ally never used to get the butterflies over someone speaking Italian. Sure, it had been charming with Lazzaro teaching her and she blushed whenever Rico would tell her a dirty joke in his native language, but to truly get butterflies - it just never happened. But when he did it, the way he rolled his r's and curved his b's, it made her swoon. Ally stood at the bottom of the stairs, slipping down to sit on the bottom step and watched him in silence. Tonight really hadn't turned out as horrible as it had in her mind. Tonight was actually pretty nice.

After being poked with a few pins and re-reading her thesis for the thousandth time, they had danced. Dancing was not her foray at all. In fact, many would say that she sucked. Strike that. Not many, all. All would say that, even her. She was a horrible dancer, coming up with wacky ass moves to compensate for how clumsy she looked and it only made her look more like the mad woman Austin had once described her as while running about the city. But this dance, their dance, was anything but. She could dance with him. Ally pulled her legs close and wrapped her sweater covered arms around them, thinking that she could really do mostly anything with him.

Before she met him, she was stuck on her thesis, and now it was done. Before she talked with him, she was going to give the last internship to Marco instead of taking it herself; and before she invited him for dinner, she was close to losing her mind over her law class. But since he had been in and around her life, she was doing things that she needed and wanted. Everything was better with him.

"Stai guardando."

Ally broke her gaze on the trio and looked up at Benedetto who was passing her by to head up to bed. "Buona notte," she told him as he kissed the top of her head. Turning back, she noticed Gianna looking at her, with her eyes darting from her own to Austin. Pushing off the bottom step, Ally was nipping Gianna's hints in the bud and headed towards the sofa were her thesis laid safely before he grabbed it instead.

"Aletta, ricordate che e necessario prendere le maschere domani dalla Inno," Silvana reminded her as Austin turned around to come and talk to her, or so she presumed. Ally nodded and made a mental note to head to Inno's as soon as she turned in her thesis to the board.

Austin cleared his throat. "Signora, potrei rubare Ally via per qualche tempo anche domani? Voglio mostrarle quello che faccio al conservatorio."

"Really?" Ally couldn't help but beam up at him.

Austin nodded. "I want to cash in on our terms ahead of the festivities." Silvana, of course, gave her permission although Austin didn't need it.

"Do you want some coffee? I know it's not Santoli's, but it's still good," Ally offered, still holding the thesis close to her and hearing the thump of her heart against it. She could've sworn it did a flip when she saw him nod. Turning towards the kitchen, Ally led him away from the talkative Nicoletti's and inside the updated kitchen.

Despite the ancient home being built in the early 1600s, the rooms were pretty updated, including the kitchen. Separated by a frosted sliding door from the dining area, the kitchen had all the modern appliances encased in a spicy red color that only made her hungrier each time she came into it. There were buttons for everything and if one could imagine it, it almost felt like a kitchen out of the Jetsons age. Turning up the under cabinet lights, Ally plugged in the age old coffee make that Benedetto wouldn't let Silvana get rid of and started to prepare a pot of the brew. She was kind of glad he made her keep it too. While most loved their Keurig's and instant coffees, she was one of the minority still loving how a pot of coffee made the room smell. It was almost heavenly.

Pulling out two cups from the side cabinet, Ally set them by the machine and turned around just slightly and running into Austin who was silently standing behind her. "Goodness," she placed her hand on her heart.

Austin chuckled. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"I think you need a cowbell," she joked with him, which made him chuckle even more. She found she liked him laughing a lot. It was sweet. "Black, right?"

"Mostly. With just a shaving of sugar," he pinched his fingers close together.

"How about a cube? We have cubes," she explained and he nodded, pulling out a seat at the tiny table on the kitchen side of the sliding door. Ally leaned up against the countertop as the coffee brewed, trying to find anything to talk about to break the ice between them. Their relationship had changed so much in just a few days and she wasn't exactly sure where they were. Friends or almost more? "How, how is your music coming?"

Austin leaned forward, breathing out a breath he had been holding. "Alright. I've been a bit...blocked for a few days."

"How come?"

"Just distracted. But I think I'm over it now. I actually have a song in my head right now, thanks to Silvana and Gianna."

"Really?"

Austin nodded and told her about being so frustrated that the music had stopped coming to him. She laughed when he told her he thought it was all the fault of the underground party and she partly agreed. She also wasn't herself these past few days. He told her about how his apartment looked like a trash bin instead of a dwelling and how when he finally got a melody to use, it went away just as fast. "But I did finally finish it today."

"That's good," she started and turned back around to the pot that told her it was done with a ding. Slipping the cubes in the bottom of the cups, along with some milk for her, she poured the black liquid to the top and brought them over to the table, sitting across from him. "How many more songs do you have to go?"

"Eight."

"I didn't think it was that many."

She watched as the curve of his mouth lifted, drinking the coffee she had just made. "Always write as many as you can. If I don't use them, I can give them to another artist for their album. Also, this is really good coffee."

It was her turn to beam up at him. "I'm going to tell Suzetta you said that."

"I'd be banned for life. She'd never forgive me."

"Your secret is safe with me," Ally sipped on her own drink. "Were you serious about me coming by the conservatory tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Dead serious. You showed me your Venice, I want to show you mine."

"You have ulterior motives, sir."

"Sure do," he raised his mug towards her before he dived in, naming all the places in the age-old school he wanted to show her. There was room after room after room and Ally actually couldn't wait.

She had been to the conservatory before, but only for a concert that Mercede had invited her two years ago. This time it would be different. She would be seeing more than just the grand hall and watching a string quartet play songs that although were beautiful, were lifeless in her eyes. This time it would be more than just the grand hall, it would be Austin showing her his passion, his work and she was looking forward to it.

A half hour later, Ally was stepping outside the door with Austin who announced that he should probably head out to his own place for the night. Learning he lived in the Rio Novo area, Ally gave him easier directions than the ones he was planning on taking. There was really no reason to head south when he could just walk west.

"So you'll be there around noon tomorrow, right?" Austin double checked, zipping up his jacket just as the snowflakes started to fall. "Just come in the main door and I'll be there."

"I'll come with treats from Suzetta," Ally promised him. "You still sure about Carnevale, Austin? Gianna didn't scare you away?"

Austin took a step towards her. "They can't scare me away," he confided in her. "Because even though they're loud and nosy, they're good people and I've never felt more at home in a foreign city. Plus, they do have the coolest host daughter slash tour guide in town."

Ally didn't try to hide the blush on her cheeks now...especially since it could blend right in with the coolness that was also making her skin red. Giving herself a boost on her tip toes, Ally placed her lips on his equally cold cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She watched him nod and suddenly felt even colder as he stepped away...but not before he took her hand and bowed to her. "Until we meet again, my White Queen."


	8. Chapter 8

The conservatory was bigger than she remembered it. Much, much bigger. Looking up at the facade, she didn't remember it being this large or intimidating. It was a gorgeous building - three stories tall with the most enormous arches over the main entry that she had ever seen. Some people wouldn't think of them as romantic in any sense, but she sort of did. Sure, they were large and at the right angle, terrifying, but that didn't mean they weren't romantic. There were so many stories, sonatas and cantatas that came to life there, that it was all romance in her mind.

Ally held onto the little carrier in her hand filled with a few coffees from Santoli's that Suzetta had sent her along with this morning and gazed up at the building, earning a few inquisitive looks from students and tourists who were passing by. She remembered it being confusing inside and without Mercede by her side - the Nicoletti daughter she had gone with for a concert - she was sure to get lost again. Ally hoped that Austin was standing right inside and watching her, laughing his butt off, because she didn't want to get lost at all.

A rush of music came out of the door as it opened, taking her out of her wondrous state and back into the present. Reaching it just as it was about to close, Ally made her way inside and her ears were flooded with a gentle sound from a string quartet practicing in the small hall for what she presumed was a concert later that evening. Before she could look for Austin, her eyes darted up the stairwell in front of her. Forget the arches, the staircase was the thing wowing her now. It was giant and never ending, looking like it actually was a stairway to heaven. The stonework was incredible and all Ally wanted to do was climb them...up and up and up...

"Hello, my White Queen."

Austin's voice made her turn around, and she was greeted with a big smile on his face. "Hi."

"You look curious."

"I'm always curious," she told him and lifted up the carton of coffees. "I bring gifts from Suzetta."

"I hope you don't take offense to this, but," Austin inhaled the smell of the brew, "she might be my favorite person in this city." He took out one of the cups from the container and sipped it slowly, making every drop count.

Ally could only snicker at him. "No offense. She's mine as well. Don't tell Gianna that though."

"Your secret is safe with me." He winked at her and jerked his head away from the grand staircase. "This way."

Ally slid into step beside him as he led the way around the first floor of the school. She half expected him to pull her into one of the many rooms they were passing, but he didn't. Instead, he took her to the end of the building that bled into the next one and just like something out of a dream, pushed open a door she hadn't seen, revealing another stairwell. A very well disguised stairwell.

"Weren't expecting that, were you?" Austin looked down at her, raising one eyebrow up as if he knew she was impressed and held open the door as she peered inside.

"Not at all," she shook her head, taking a few steps inside.

"There's more too," Austin hinted, taking her up a floor to store the extra cups of coffee in the tiny kitchenette before showing her the rest of where he had been working for the past month.

They had lingered at doors where choruses were practicing behind them and she laughed as he tried to sing along; he gave a few statues inappropriate nicknames when she tried to explain what they were about; he took her to a few balconies overlooking the courtyard and a few of the grander rooms and they even got lost when he tried to take her back to the room he had been working out of that morning from the other side of the building. Ally let her laugh echo down the hallways as he opened door after door, interrupting a few classes and private lessons as he did it.

"It's got to be this one," Austin pushed the barrier open, and was met with a black space instead of a full class. Closing it again, he turned back to Ally. "They really need numbers."

"I think you need a map."

"Nah, I know this place."

"Sure you do," Ally patted his shoulder. "It's not like we've been opening every single door in search of your room for the past hour or anything."

She laughed even more when he poked his tongue out at her, backing up only a few steps to the next room - and this time it was his room. "Told you."

Peering inside, she was almost surprised the room wasn't a complete mess. She had imagined paper all over the place, chairs turned upside down, you know, the works of a great composer. This one was almost the opposite. Music books lined the walls in stacks around the entire room and chairs stood in the middle of the classroom that students used for private lessons. Her eyes traveled up to the straight-lined teacher's desk that sat up on a mini-stage with a clarinet, oboe, viola, and trumpet hanging on the wall behind it like they were trophies and then over to the piano that sat flush with the wall, where she suspected Austin did most of his work. It was a cozy room, she decided as she stepped into the room further.

Austin skipped ahead of her, trying to clean up a bit of the papers from the piano and make it look a bit more presentable, like the other three quarters of the room. She could see notes after notes on the sheet music and words that looked indecipherable and knew they had to be written by him. "Okay, time to pay up."

"Excuse me, what?"

"Pay up. Play," he pointed towards the piano.

She shook her head and tried to make the smile on her lips disappear. "I think you should play me something first. You are of course, the musician amongst us."

All Austin could do was smirk at her, and pulled out the bench in one swift motion. Ally shut up after that as his fingers flew over the keys and he wasn't just playing a little melody either. He dived in and was literally playing her a symphony. The sounds were up and down and soft and slow and light and lovely and as Ally watched him fall into the music, she took a seat next to him on the bench, watching silently. The music he was playing was a story set on fire and the sounds he was producing were amazing. She was mesmerized how he submerged himself in it and couldn't take her eyes off of him for a second.

She had known he was talented, but somehow talented just wasn't the right word anymore. It was more than talent, it was more like power and genius and without even hearing one note from anything he was working on for his album, she knew his fans would love it. If they didn't, they were idiots. Watching his blonde hair cover the side of his face, Ally stopped herself from brushing it away as his fingers slowed down into a light flowing river of musical notes that made her want to dance, and she was a horrible dancer. He had just made the symphony he was playing for her, her absolute favorite and she had no clue which one it even was. She knew it wasn't Bach or Beethoven or even Wagner. Those ones she knew, but this one, this one sounded like something out of a dream sequence in a Gene Kelly movie...and it was absolutely wonderful.

Austin's hands slowed down even more, pressing the keys lightly before he looked over at her and she locked her eyes with his. "Does that work?"

Her mouth curved upwards. "That definitely works. That was amazing, Austin."

"One of the first symphonies I learned all the way through," he told her. "I could never get into the ones everyone knows...the 6th from Bach or 40th from Mozart. When I was in high school, my teacher put out this challenge to learn one of them and all my classmates chose those ones. I went with this one."

"I hope you got an A+."

He shrugged his shoulders, "B+, but I was still only sixteen and I know I messed up a ton of chords."

"What symphony actually was that? It's really pretty."

"La Peri, from Paul Dukas. Want to hear something I've been working on?"

Ally didn't have to think twice or even blink twice before nodding and Austin pulled out a few sheets of music from underneath a book on the top of the piano. Spreading it out, Ally studied the music before watching his fingers hit the keys once again. She found herself anxious to hear this new sound he had bragged about over their times at Santoli's and antsy on when he would actually start playing. He cleared his throat and turned to her briefly, giving her a glimpse of that charming smile she saw more than often.

"Everybody's got a time in their life," he sang softly, the sound of the piano echoing in the room underneath his addicting voice. "When everything hurts and nothing's right. But you gotta walk on, yea, you gotta walk on. Everybody's got a piece of their heart that's been stepped on and torn apart..."

More music came and Ally didn't take her eyes off of him. In fact, she found herself humming along with him.

"Sing with me," Austin said, not really asking her, but not forcing her either. "But you gotta walk on, yea, you gotta walk on."

"I haven't sung in a very long time."

"It's just me. Please," Austin beamed then, giving her the cheesiest of smiles she'd ever seen and there was no way she could say no. "From here," he pointed to a line of lyrics just beyond the part he played. "One, two, three..." and they sang together.

Ally had no idea how her voice would sound like after all these years. When she had last sang, well, it had been in the shower, but other than that, in front of people - it'd been so long. Years. And now she was singing again, and not just with anyone. With Austin Moon; with one of the most amazing men she'd ever met and if someone could pinch her now, she'd welcome that in spades.

"And I know there's hope," he started, her voice becoming almost silent again. "I see it in your eyes."

"So take me, touch me," Ally read from the music, "Cause with a little bit of love, we can win the fight."

"With a little bit of love we can see the light," Austin raised his voice a bit, smiling over at her as they sang one last line together, "With a little bit of love it'll be alright."

Austin's voice died out just as hers did and she suck in a breath. He was doing to exact same thing she was, glancing from his lips to his eyes and suddenly, they were back in the same situation they were in a week ago at the party...and this time there were no drunk people about to break them apart or any distractions. It was just them, in an empty room, singing one of his songs that was sure to bring him way more praise than his first actual hit song did.

"That was a great song," she finally uttered, her eyes still searching around his face.

"You think so?" Austin let his arms drop from the keys and slip to the outside edge of bench as he turned slightly towards her. "I wrote it on the plane ride here."

"It's really good," she told him again, feeling his face get a little closer. "Amazing, even." Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw him scooch more towards her.

"Amazing? I'll take that amazing."

"Yea, and the words were..."

"Ally, stop talking." His voice was low and his right hand slid up the side of her bare neck, cupping her cheek softly.

Austin Moon was going to kiss her and she was jumping for joy inside. Ally let her eyes flutter shut as he leaned in and she was thanking all lucky stars around her that there were no distractions around...at least, that's what she thought. No sooner than she shut her eyes and could feel his breath on her lips that the door opened wide and both of them broke any contact, looking towards whoever came in and interrupted them again.

"Mi dispiace, Austin," the man said, sorting through a few papers in his hands as he approached the desk beside them. "Didn't know you were in here. I thought you had that girl coming by."

"This is that girl," Austin's head was hanging down in between them and Ally pressed her lips together. He turned to face the piano head on once again. "Ally, this is Santo, my mentor and friend, or so I thought. Santo, this is Ally."

Santo's eyes lit up and just as he dropped his things on the wooden table, he walked over to them, taking her hand in his. "Quindi, tu sei la donna che ha sempre parlando. Sei ancora piu bella di quanto descritto," he told her in his native language and nudged Austin in the back. "Ora vedo comesi sta sempre cosi inspirato Austin."

Ally looked back at Austin, waiting for him to say something. Letting him sulk and curse his friend out under his breath a bit more, Ally exchanged pleasantries with Santo. "E'bello incontrare anche voi."

"Austin aveva ragione. Lei parla un italiano perfetto. Non c'e da stupirsi che sta innamorando di te."

"Santo!" Austin yelled at him which only made Santo laugh.

"Sorry, sorry," Santo put his hands up and backed away. "I have a meeting downstairs and then a lesson with Isabella on the oboe. So," he picked up the instrument that hung on the wall and his keys from the desk drawer. "I shall see you two later. It was great meeting you Ally."

Ally watched as Santo left the room and when she turned back she saw Austin, leaning over the piano with his face buried in his arms. "You okay there?"

"I can't believe that just happened," he mumbled into the whole in his arms. He pushed off the piano and slid off the bench, not letting her see the redness on his face. "Apart from that, Santo's a really great guy."

"He seems pretty cool. Especially since he had to have vouched for you for the conservatory," Ally pointed out and was met with a confused face. "You do remember that I'm a walking know it all about Venice right? You have to know Italian to get into this place."

Austin held back a laugh. "You caught me." Ally turned back to the piano and picked up another piece of sheet music from his pile. She spread it out and studied it for a moment. "No, you don't," he pulled it out of her hands from behind.

"But, I want to hear more."

"Buy the album," he told her in a hushed tone, placing it back under the book on top.

"Okay, how about a trade? I'll play you something if you play me another song."

Austin came back to the bench and took a seat on the outside of it. "Start playing."

And she did just that. It wasn't just any song either - it was the butterfly song. The one she had written when she was just five years old for a school pageant. It was the song that she had been so proud of, and Ally recalled it was the song that made her realize she wanted to be a songwriter then. Truthfully, it was the only song she remembered how to play by heart now. There had been other songs she had written, but this one just stuck with her. So, she sang the tune to Austin, her voice falling up and down with the easy music and looked over at him every so often, picking up on his amusement. "So glad I ended up like this, thanks to metamorphosis...I'm a butterfly," she tapped the end note, reaching across the keys in front of him.

Austin didn't have any reaction for a minute, but she did see his lips curve upward. "That was cute."

"Of course it's cute," she said, rather proudly. "I wrote it when I was five. Everything was cute then."

"When you were five?" Austin let his elbow rest on the top of the piano and looked over at her. "When you were five? I'm starting to think there's really nothing you can't do. I'm right, aren't I?"

Playfully shoving him at the compliment, Ally pointed to the sheets of music he had hid from her. "Another song please."

* * *

He ended up sharing almost every song with her, something he told Santo and himself earlier that he didn't want to do. He wanted to keep it all secretive until he actually recorded it all and showed his label when he got back to the States. But she was Ally and he found himself wanting to share everything with her - all of his own secrets, the things that fans would never know, things about his crazy friends that he was sort of impressed by, how he actually zoomed to the top of the charts and why this record was the most important of them all - all of it. He felt that she was that type of person too. She wouldn't tell anyone, she'd keep his secrets safe with her...and it only made him want her even more.

Austin didn't exactly know when he had come to think of Ally as more than a friend. Maybe it was before the party, maybe it was at the party...but he didn't really want to go back to just friends with her. He wanted more. He wanted to kiss her and hold her hand and know all her plans for after Venice. He just wanted to be near her, because being near her was better than being far away from her. He had come to think of a bridge as far these days. He watched her get up from the bench and wander about the room a bit just as he slipped all his music back in his bag and pulled it over his shoulder. Somehow in between having their own adventure in the conservatory without getting yelled at, and singing to her like a boyfriend would a girlfriend, the day had passed them by and it was nearing seven at night - definitely time to get out of the building and head home.

"These are Wagner," Ally pointed out, picking up a few folders that were stacked amongst the books. "Have you been to the Wagner Museum?"

Austin nodded. Of course he had. Wagner was a huge inspiration in his life and the museum, set inside the Ca' Vendramin Calergi, had been one of his first stops as soon as he set foot on the island city. It was only three rooms, but in those three rooms, he had found a base rhythm for two songs and as he read Wagner's writing on a book inside while he was there, was sparked with an idea for the lyrics as well.

"Of course you have," Ally shook her head, her hands skimming over the folders before he caught it with his own, linking their fingers tight.

"I think we're due for some Santoli's," he suggested, not taking no for an answer from her. She was probably starving and so was he, and he wasn't ready to let her go just yet. Austin loved having her for the whole day and if he had anything to say about it, would welcome it until he left...until he left. His thoughts came back to bite him in the ass there. Now, instead of thinking about warm coffee and the sandwiches that he knew Suzetta would make them, he was thinking about what would happen after he left. Austin didn't know when he was actually leaving and Ally wasn't his girlfriend, but she was something. Hell, he didn't even know her plans. He knew she was graduating in mere months and after that she had a job with the Italian Embassy somewhere, but that was about it.

Ally gently shook him with their linked hands, probably noticing his sour face. "You okay?"

"Yea, just...," _Don't tell her, Austin. Think of something else_. "Just thinking about how I let you hear almost my entire album."

"I'm glad you did. I loved it," Ally jumped in step next to him as they reached the grander staircase she had been admiring earlier. "I'll definitely be buying it."

"I'll get you a signed copy," he joked and while they headed down the stairwell and towards the outdoors once again.

* * *

Note: The song Austin "wrote" is David Archuleta's "Things Are Gonna Get Better" - mostly because I could not get it out of my head when I wrote this chapter


	9. Chapter 9

Austin had not let her hand go until they got to Santoli's later that night and Ally didn't know if it was so he wouldn't lose her through the flood of tourists that came out of nowhere or because he just liked holding her hand. She had silently hoped it was the latter because she liked holding his hand as well. His entire hand engulfed hers, holding it tight and making it warm in the cool winter weather. When he ultimately let go after dropping her off at her home, it felt like he took all the heat with him. Now, it was three days later and she was still feeling cold; and telling Mercede and Paola about it all was not helping. It only made her miss Austin more.

In the three days since her visit, Ally had headed straight to the embassy for a preliminary interview and Austin, the last she checked with him, was finishing up more songs, which made her happy. The more songs the better, in her opinion. She still couldn't get one of them out of her mind and found herself humming the tune around the house. It was Sunday afternoon now and while Silvana had enlisted Seraphina's help in the kitchen for dinner later that night, she was with the other daughters and watching as Gianna put her younger brothers through Carnevale tests, also known as the tenth layer of hell.

It was funnier as time went on, she determined. Rico had downright turned the paintbrush on his sister after she dolled up his face in black and white to see just how his and his brothers' costumes would look. Lazzaro, on the other hand, was oblivious to everything going on and only paid attention to the game on the television that his dad was watching on the other side of the room. After breaking up Rico and Gianna for the third time, Ally was now helping Paola in her very full, very frilly, and very pretty, blue gown for the first ball in just a few days.

She stared at the roses that popped out at every corner of the skirt and the details that Gianna had put into her sister's garments. It was gorgeous shade of blue - not quite sky and not quite sea but somewhere in between. The top of the gown was a corseted top that was encrusted in aquamarine stones all around and the laces that Ally had pulled and pulled on to make sure were tight had almost disappeared into the fabric. While her mask was a traditional Colombina mask that was plain white with the same aquamarine stones surrounding the border, Paola's headpiece matched the skirt, with a giant rose popping out of the side of it. Ally stepped back to take all of Paola in and took a deep breath. This would be her. In purple.

"How does it look, Ally?" Paola turned slightly, lifting the skirt with her hands as if it was air.

Ally kneeled down, fixing the skirt so it laid just right and looked up at the younger of the twins. "Sei bellissima." She watched Paola blush a bit and push Rico out of the way for the mirror that Gianna had stuck him in front of. She twirled and double checked the dress, making sure it fit her just right. It was beautiful and Ally could hardly believe that in between her job at the national bank, Gianna had time to make all the costumes for the first ball. For the second, however, she had to rely on her mother's expertise and help.

Mercede was up next, in the lightest shade of yellow that you could find. She had labeled it limone gustoso...or lemon yummy in English as soon as she saw the gown. As much as Mercede was against being in yellow, and red, she actually looked stunning in both colors. In contrast to her twin, Mercede's hair was more beigey than the golden Paola had going on and the combination of her hair with the makeup that Gianna had picked out for her, Ally was convinced she was going to be the prettiest of all of them. She wouldn't admit that to anyone, but she knew it was true. The layers in the gown were different from Paola's too. It wasn't all bunched together with roses, even those were still there - they were a bouquet of roses, after all.

Mercede's dress had more ribbons and was tiered and in between the tiers, there were laces and petals of yellow all over. It was gorgeous and she silently hoped her own dress was more like Mercede's. The corseted top was just like Paola's though, dotted with yellow sapphires that dazzled when she spun around and hit the lights.

With Rico out of the way, Gianna was finally done with the guys and let him go after taking a few pictures of his face for reference on ball night. Ally could only imagine the disarray this place would be in just a week's time. She took a seat next to Mercede, taking just a moment before starting to adjust and make little tweaks on the dress. "Is it me or has he gotten even more annoying?"

Ally could only laugh at Gianna. It was Rico, he'd always been annoying.

"Have you met Rico before, Gianna?" Paola asked her. "He's always been that way. It's the youngest child syndrome."

"I guess so," Gianna shrugged her shoulders, a pin coming out of the cushion on her wrist as she judged Ally. "Tell us more about your day with Austin. I need to get lost in a love story after that."

"Love story? It's not a love story," Ally told her, lying straight through her teeth. It was such a love story that she could write the book about it right now and it would have just as many chapters as "The Wizard of Oz."

Ally saw Gianna roll her eyes. "You took him to San Giorgio in Alga, an underground party where you almost kissed him and then just spent a full day with him singing to you and almost kissed again. That's not a love story?"

"Sure sounds like one to me," Vittoria muttered, flipping through a magazine on the sofa. "Sounds like a beautiful beginning of one anyhow."

A love story. While Gianna mastered Mercede's gown, Ally let her thoughts drift away and really soak up what Vittoria said, a love story. When Ally thought of love stories, she thought of folk tales and legends and the real fairy tales where they didn't end up happily ever after; the tales where they made true sacrifices and most times died for true love. The stories she read were full of adventure and people who were trying to keep the lovers apart - which seemed to be the opposite of what the women around her were trying to do. Ally remembered her favorite love story well - Soleste and Moroello.

The legend would always have a soft spot in her heart after visiting the Landi Castle at Bardi in Emilia-Romagna during high school. It was sort of a Romeo and Juliet tale, but with much more truth and sacrifice behind it. Soleste was the daughter of the castle Lord and fell so deeply in love with Moroello, a captain of the knights and he with her. No one approved of their love, except a nurse and soon, Soleste was promised to another Lord by her father's doing. But that didn't stop her from loving Moroello. During a long battle for more land, Soleste waited for the captain and when she saw riders approaching the fortress, she noticed they were not wearing the family's colors. Fearing Moroello had perished, she threw herself off the tower and died. In a sad twist, it was Moroello and his men riding towards the castle and they were wearing the enemy's colors to promote their victory. When he heard about her jumping, he did as well.

When Ally was at the castle, she heard even more stories of Moroello haunting the grounds, looking for his lost love and it got her even more hooked on the emotion. She loved love, ever since her mom told her her first fairy tale when she was two. But her own love life had been far from any fairy tale, which was both a blessing and a curse. She had one boyfriend in high school and two in college and all of them were far from the typical Prince Charming moniker. In fact, all of them were far from it. Her high school relationship lasted about a month before he chose to take the homecoming queen to bed and in college, she had dated her R.A. before he graduated and another guy during her senior year, who was actually kind of sweet, but it was more of a friends with benefits situation than anything else.

Now, with Austin, it was different; she was different. They weren't forcing anything and even thinking about the possibilities with him was making her stomach turn into bats. Not butterflies. Bats. Bats with their wings that could cause major damage. She liked the way he paid attention to what she said and remembered what she said at all. She liked that he had learned Italian and even though he insisted it wasn't for her, she still liked to think that it was. She liked that his smile was lopsided and she absolutely loved that he treated Suzetta Santoli like a queen and paid her so many compliments that made her blush. Him having a voice that could make anyone get off on was just a bonus.

Ally shrugged her shoulders. "It could be one..."

Paola snorted. "Oh, it is."

"Go change into your dress," Gianna nudged her.. "I put it in your room upstairs."

"Wait, you expect me to walk down all those stairs in one of those?" Ally got up, pointing at the twins still in their gowns.

"Certo faro," Gianna looked up at her, with the cheesiest smile. "I'll send Vittoria up in a minute to get you all fastened."

Turning around, Ally made her way up the stairs towards her room and was immediately met with a mess of lavender fabric staring back at her as it hung over her wardrobe. The material was darker than she remembered it being in the shop and instead of the lightest shade of violet, it was more of a creamy amethyst with pleats of layers and ruffles that blasted out from the bottom of the corseted top. Unlike the other dresses, which were strapless and straight necklines, hers had thin straps that would help holding up the dress with a sweetheart neckline instead. Also like the others, the top was dotted with jewels that sparkled as she turned in it. Slipping into it, Ally was suddenly very aware of just how small she was again. Short, tiny, miniature...and all those other words. The dress actually swallowed her.

Turning at the knock at her door, she was happy to see Vittoria there to help her zip it all up and prayed it actually didn't make her look like a doll like she feared it did. She prayed even harder that she would be able to walk down the stairs in it. "Was yours this heavy?" Ally asked Vittoria as she lifted the skirts up and went to glimpse at herself in the tiny mirror on the vanity set across from the wardrobe.

"Mine was light, but the fabric was different too," Vittoria told her, securing the zips and hooks up in the back. Vittoria's had been just the same as Paola's, only a light minty green with peridots on every edge of it. She took a step back and let Ally turn around in it. "It looks gorgeous on you."

Ally turned towards Vittoria and smiled. "Let's just hope I can walk down the stairs in it."

* * *

He was not a runner. At all. He hated it in high school when it was required to actually pass gym class, he hated it when he physically had to run to catch a flight and he hated it now, when he was late for the Nicoletti's family dinner that he had been looking forward to all day long. Ally had teased him the day before at Santoli's with promises of new pastas and a mouth watering chicken dish and he had been dreaming of it ever since...of course that was before Santo called him early in the morning and let him know the recording studio was open to use.

That was the start of his day and he had been in there since noon, putting down the base tracks for five of his songs. The first two were officially finished and he just had to send them to his label later that night for their first listen on what he had promised them would actually be his best album. He knew that Ally's host family wouldn't actually mind him being a bit late, but he still wanted to be punctual. Being on time meant more time for the delicious food and more time with Ally.

Austin tried to catch his breath as soon as he crossed the last bridge towards the piano nobile square and didn't even mind the coolness he felt with his open coat that was flapping around on his sides. Stopping just ahead of the home to regain a steady breath, he was surprised to find a few patrons eating outside at the restaurant beside it. He wasn't cold at the moment, but he had been when he left the conservatory a half hour ago. It was cold tonight and he secretly hoped that the family had a raging fire going on in that fireplace he had seen last week in the main living room. A hot, crackling fire.

Pulling on the age old bell, Austin pulled his coat all the way closed and adjusted the bag that he had wrapped around his upper half, turning it to where it was supposed to be instead of where it was. He didn't wait long before the door opened up, revealing Dante, if he recalled correctly, with a drink in his hand and half of his face painted up. "Ciao. Non so se ti ricordi di me ..."

"Austin," Dante quickly cut him off. "Come on in. Warning you now that Gianna is doing a fitting for everyone for this week."

"For Carnevale? Should I run home?" Austin tried out the joke on the guy who he hardly knew and it worked. Dante laughed and nodded profusely. "How bad is it?"

"Rico got the worst of it," Dante said, as they bypassed the kitchen that smelled of things he would eat without even seeing it and into the big room where his eyes fell on Ally immediately.

She stood in the middle of the room, her arms spread out as Gianna made little adjustments to the dress she was modeling. The gown was gorgeous and made Ally even more beautiful. The Nicoletti women were all around her, fluffing up the dress and making sure it fit just right as he caught her gaze. The light refracted off her dress and almost blinded him just as Lazzaro tapped his shoulder and welcomed him back. Austin let his eyes unlock from her being and greeted all the guys, remembering each of them as they watched an old soccer game on the television. Truth be told though, he really just wanted to stare at Ally...or at least say hi.

Breaking away from the guys for a moment, Austin walked over to the "girl's side" of the room and greeted them as well before looking up at her again. "Buona sera."

"Ciao, Austin."

"That's some dress," he noted as a few of the girls slipped away and went to hassle their brothers. "It's...big."

"That's what I told her. It's too big," Ally motioned to Gianna.

"It's not too big," Gianna stepped back after pinning pieces of fabric together so it would actually fit her perfectly on the day of. "Tell her Austin."

Austin darted his eyes between both girls and bit his tongue, trying not to get in between them. It was a big dress, but he wasn't about to tell any girl, let alone the one he was crazy over that she looked awful in it. "Um..."

"I'm done, right?" Ally asked Gianna and started to pick up the skirts in her hands, not waiting for permission from the seamstress even though she was nodding that she was indeed done.

Austin reached out to help her down from the pedestal that he was starting to think was a permanent feature in the home. She took a hold of his hand and while her first step landed just where she wanted, the other foot slipped off and Austin reacted quickly, his arms surrounded her upper half so she wouldn't fall even more. He bit back a little laugh as she looked up at him, a little blush creeping up on her face. "You okay there?"

"So, you probably know this by now, but I'm a bit clumsy."

Austin laughed. "Good thing for you, I like clumsy."

The two stared at each other for a minute before the snickers and whispers around them got too much. He saw Ally straighten up and poke her tongue out at Gianna and Mercede just as Silvana came out of the kitchen and clapped her hands to get everyones' - including the guys - attention.

"Va bene, tutti. Cena in cinque minuti. Aletta, andare in fretta e cambiare prima che i ragazzi trangugiare tutto in vista," she kept on clapping. "Chop, chop!"

* * *

Like his first and second time, dinner passed by faster than he liked it to. Too fast, in his honest opinion. Like any typical guy, he would always be hungry and especially for the food prepared by Silvana. It was just too good. The meal tonight was even better than the one before and it seriously made him never want to leave Venice at all. However, after being poked a bit by a few pins from Gianna's hands, that may convince him to speed up everything and get out as soon as he could. Dante had warned him during dinner that she was not the best with the tiny sticks and he had the little pricks on his wrist to prove it. While Austin took that with a grain of salt then, maybe Dante had a point...and he winced at the slip of her finger on his back at the top of his shoulders.

"Sorry," she apologized once more while Seraphina and Vittoria snickered at him keeping quiet about it all.

"Still no blood, right?"

"If there was blood, Austin, you'd be seeing her out of this house faster than Ally running across the piazza," Vittoria joked, knowing all about his 'mad woman running' comments.

"I'm not that bad."

"Yes, you are," Seraphina insisted. "Should I remind you about when Lazzaro ripped open his arm?"

"Or even when Rico was, what, around ten and scraped his knee? You almost passed out from that," Vittoria reminded her younger sister.

"Okay, so I'm not good with blood."

"I've very thankful right now that you're not a doctor or nurse," Austin piped up as Gianna rounded him and shifted the cape over his frame again.

"You and the 270,000 people in Venice," Vittoria smiled up at Gianna as she turned to glare at her.

Putting away all the pins, Gianna made sure everything fit him just right and for the most part it did. It was actually a cool costume. He fully admitted to Santo earlier in the week that he hoped he wouldn't actually look like a clown. From what Austin actually knew about Carnevale and the people he had already seen walking around the city in full costumes, he knew that the style was out there with fully covered faces and period attire and hats that he never, ever thought he'd ever wear.

The costume Gianna had put him in was more Zorro like and he was all about that. There was a dark purple cape, lined with a lighter shade of violet silk. He wore gray pants with flat boots. He had spotted a hat attached to a mask placed by her seamstress kit and already knew it was his, as noted by the giant 'A' scribbled on a post it note on it. He was also expecting a sword to go along with it all, but so far, there was none.

She turned him around, and brushed her hands over the gray shirt. "Everything is comfortable?"

He nodded and watched as Ally came out of the kitchen then after being on kitchen clean up duty with Lazzaro and Paola. She wiped her hands over her jeans and came to hang out with Seraphina and Vittoria as he was being fitted to everything.

"You match me," she said, noting the color of his cape. Ally picked up the bag he placed on the sofa before dinner and sat down, holding it close to her. "You have your camera in here?"

Austin nodded. "Don't take any pictures of this."

"Why not? You're going to want to remember this," she joked and pulled out the manual lens, holding it over her eye for just a moment and snapping the shutter.

Gianna let him change back into his own clothes shortly after that and Austin stayed put as the other children left to go to their own homes. He and Ally had fallen back into a conversation like they had before the underground party. The ones like they were best friends from childhood who were reunited and nothing had seemed to change. They sat on the sofa with warm coffees in their hands hours after Silvana and Benedetto had retired to bed and he was still going on about recording a few songs at the conservatory earlier in the day.

"I loved that one," Ally told him when he told her he was going to send 'West Side Story' and 'Iris' off to his label the next day. "When you sang that one, 'West Side Story' to me the other day...well, it's now my new theme song."

"Your theme song?" Austin raised his eyebrow up, amused at her words as she nodded up and down, making her ponytail bounce around on the top of her head. "I'm anxious to know what they're going to think. The songs are just so much different than what I'm known for and I think more than the label, I'm just a bit fearful about what my fans will think. Gone is that sugary pop that I was known for and now they'll get these slower, meaningful songs that they are not used to."

"I get it," Ally let her hand slip from supporting her head on the back of the couch to resting on his forearm; a feeling he was liking...a lot. "Not the music and fans part but the part where your stomach is flipping over like loops on a rollercoaster. After my stage fright took over and I was really deciding what I was actually going to do for the rest of my life, I didn't know which way to go. I could've done business and gone into a family business, or this. Following a passion of art and law and all things Italy. Scariest decision of my life."

"Obviously, it turned out really well," Austin brought the mug to his lips for a drink of the brew. "You're in Venice, following your dream job."

"And so are you." Her hand rubbed his arm up and down. "The way you talk about your fans, Austin...it's like they are your best friends. And your best friends never leave you. Ever. I'm going to predict that they're going to love this new material even more than your other hits because it's you."

Austin set his mug on the table in front of them and looked back at her. "I think I need to keep you around forever. You give the best advice."

"Not sure that I do. I once gave advice to my best friend and it turned out to be the worst."

"Tell me about your best friend."

"I don't think there's enough time in the day to tell you all about Trish."

"Come on, I'll tell you about mine. His name is Dez and his clothes are as crazy as his orange hair."

Ally pursed her lips together, trying not to laugh too hard. "Crazy clothes and orange hair?"

"Yep," Austin nodded. "He's a director and I've known him since I was in diapers. Literally. His mom and my mom took us to the same baby class when we were super young and it's where our friendship was born after he painted my hair to match his."

Ally couldn't help it after that, she had to laugh. Austin watched as her face lit up and all he could see was her smile; something he could get used to seeing all the time.

"I'm glad you're amused by this."

"I'm sorry," she said, leaning her head onto his shoulder, trying to get her laughter to die down. "I'm just trying to picture you with orange hair."

"It gets better. He called himself The Love Whisperer throughout middle and high school. He makes the best chili ever inside a drum, oh, and one time we were at the beach and he gave me spray glue instead of spray sunscreen. I tumbled into the sand and had it glued all over my body. I didn't get all the sand off until a week later."

"Oh my God..." she buried her face in his arm even more.

"I still love the beach, but I always double check the spray and I still get itchy sometimes," Austin admitted.

Once Ally's laughter had died down, she and Austin talked more about their childhood friends. She told him how her best friend hadn't held down a job for more than two days before she actually had to after college and how the same friend was the best to have for revenge of any kind. Before they both knew it, it was past midnight and he needed to get home to sleep and so did she, seeing as she had another interview tomorrow morning at the embassy.

Austin stopped before he opened the door to leave, and leaned in to to kiss her on the cheek before he forgot or she had any chance to stop him. He had the urge to let his lips drift over to her lips, the lips he had been staring at all night watching her talk about everything and anything with him. But he didn't. Instead, he let his own lips linger on her warm cheek, breathing in her scent and very slowly, pulled back. "Buona notte."

Ally curved her mouth upwards and told him the same thing. "Buona notte, mio cavaliere." She shut the door as he walked off, leaning back up against it. Running her hands over her bare face, she knew what Vittoria and Gianna were saying earlier was true. This was a love story.


	10. Chapter 10

It was the night of the St. Valentine's Day Ball; and it had been so much fun he wanted to go back and do it all again. Bringing his little notebook just in case, Austin hadn't reached for it all night to write anything down and part of him was kind of glad about it. Talking with Santo just hours before he left to meet the Nicoletti's, Austin got the notion that he would be bored out of his mind - and that was hardly the case. If he wasn't dancing with Ally, he was dancing with one of the other daughters, or even just with the guys.

On top of the dancing, there was a dinner and it was making him salivate just thinking about it now. There were drinks that he was afraid to try at first, but after the first sip, wanted more and there were more Italian conversations going on than he was used to. There was a costume contest, where the family came in third place, and many single girls trying to pry him and the other 'thorns' away from the 'roses', but he didn't and was glad Ally was by him to tell him to stay and translate everything. He was even glad she was there when he wanted to tear off his Bauta mask because no one actually tells you that it itches.

_The whole night?_ He remembered asking her midway through a slow dance if there was a chance to take it off. There wasn't. All she did was nod and apparently, that was all he needed to go on. Austin kept his mask on throughout the entire evening; throughout every slow, fast and group dance there was. The only time he was allowed to take it off was for dinner and drinks. Ally had warned him about Gianna being sort of a dictator when it came to the balls. The night had to be a certain way and in return, the family had to act a certain way too.

_It comes from Silvana_, Ally told him, explaining that she got it from her mother too. The Nicoletti's supposedly thought of themselves as almost royalty...and to some extent they were. Ally knew better and now, so did Austin. They still did as Gianna asked though, because on this night, it was fun to think that they were royal. He had a feeling they'd be acting like that at the next event too.

Now, five hours later from when he arrived at the old palace, he was leaving, but not without the girl who invited him. It was two in the morning and they both had to actually work the next day, but he didn't care. So, after promising her dessert and warm coffee from Santoli's, Austin had buried her hand in his and placed it inside his cape's hidden pocket to keep it warm. They warmed up a bit inside the small cafe, before Ally followed him back to his place instead of hers. He hadn't expected her to accept the invitation of coming back to his apartment, as hers was closer to the cafe, but he wasn't actually against it either.

"I hope you're okay with a bit of a mess," he confessed, making sure she was getting up the four flights of stairs behind him okay. The dress she was in took up most of the stairwell and he was thankful no one else was even attempting to exit. Not that they would - it was past three in the morning now.

"I'm sure it's not messier than my actual room is."

"I haven't seen your room, but I'm a guy," Austin reached for her hand, getting her safe on the landing he was waiting for her at. "One more flight."

She looked back at him, grabbing the layers of her dress again. "That's what you said two flights ago. I'm starting to think you're just leading me to the roof and making me jump off the top."

"You jump, I jump," he called back to her, reaching his door faster than she did. Austin pulled out his keys, unlocking each bolt that the door had just as she reached the top step. "Remember, I warned you."

Ally let out a little laugh, the soft white wrap around her shoulders moving slightly over them. "Just open the door."

Austin did as she asked, and let her go ahead, not going to even bother to try and clear a path. He had warned her and he was also pretty sure her dress would clear one for her as she entered. It honestly wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. Sure, there were piles of songbooks and crumpled up balls of paper in every corner of the living area, stacks of records from Guisto he still had in his possession by the portable record player he borrowed from Santo and newspapers that were making a nice little home all over his dining room table that he never used; but other than that, the place was still looking good. He was just thankful he actually did his laundry the other day, because if she had come over then, it would've been a whole other story.

He passed by Ally, tossing his keys into the convenient bowl on the little table by the door and slipped off his cape, taking the bag in his hands straight to the kitchen. Suzetta had put a few different pasties inside and he was anxious to see which ones. Lighting up, Austin stole the key lime one from the lot before Ally spotted it at all and stuck it in his mouth.

"Save me the blueberry one," Ally told him, looking around his place before coming into the kitchen space. "I saw her put one in there and if it's in your mouth, we're going to have issues."

Austin smiled up at her and pulled out the tart she mentioned.

"Your apartment is nice."

"Thanks," Austin swallowed his bite, brushing away the crumble around his lips. "When I first got here, I didn't expect it to be like this."

"Like an apartment?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't judge me, but I had this vision of it being more...Italian. I thought it would all be separated rooms and smaller..."

"You were expecting a view of the Grand Canal?"

Austin smiled at her, as she tried to take a seat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "No, not expecting that. Not all of us are Nicoletti's."

Ally gave up trying to take a seat on the stool and looked around more. It was a good apartment. There was a big open living space as soon as you walked into the door, filled with an older sofa, coffee table and a television. It led into a little dining room with the wall lined with windows, which opened onto a thin balcony that overlooked a smaller canal and a bridge. To the right was the kitchen they were currently occupying, open to everything. It was more modern than the rest of the apartment, with stainless appliances and state of the art cabinetry. In truth, she liked it better than the Nicoletti's kitchen. Their's was huge, but then again, with eight children, it had to be.

Looking over his shoulder, Ally saw the door to the bathroom, which wasn't as tiny as she expected it to be. She also didn't expect him to disappear for a few moments and come back with spare clothes for her to change into. "Thanks."

"They'll be huge on you, but just in case you want to get out of that dress," he set the shirt and pants on the sink, backing out of the room to let her do whatever. Austin took a deep breath, shaking thoughts away about him wanting to help her out of that dress himself. Not tonight. Not when they were tired beyond belief and were tipsy from the drinks at the ball. What the hell were those anyway?

Ally shut the door on him, just as he saw her pull out one of the many pins from her hair, letting it fall down her back. Austin tore back into the bag from Santoli's, grabbing another tart to shut his urges up. Yes, he was the one who invited her back here. Yes, he wanted to turn whatever they had into more. Yes, he was a chicken. He was the biggest chicken he knew. Ever since his big break and split with Jamie, Austin had thrown himself into music. Putting himself back out there, even if he was Austin Moon, was something he'd been terrified of. But he liked Ally. He liked her a hell of a lot.

Turning about, he pulled out the white wine he had in his fridge. Might as well pair the delicious tarts with even more delicious wine. He started to busy himself about the kitchen, getting a second wind, even though it was insanely late, before the bathroom door opened again. Gone was the purple dress from her petite frame and in exchange, she was being swallowed by his clothes. Half of her hair was still pinned up, and Austin couldn't help but stare back at Ally, wearing his old ACDC shirt and a pair of his sweats that if possible, made her look even sexier than the dress had. He choked back his want and took a drink of the wine he had poured.

"Do, do you have a hanger or something I can put this giant thing up on? Silvana can resell it at the shop," Ally asked and he nodded, heading back into his room for a minute before returning with a random hanger from the wardrobe he didn't use. Putting it up on the back of the bathroom door, he offered her a drink as well.

They sat down on the sofa, once he had moved some of the songbooks, and sipped on the drinks in their hand. "Did you enjoy your first Carnevale ball?" she asked him.

"Yea, I did. I wasn't expecting how it ended up being."

"You thought of royal balls and stuffy dances, right?" Ally bit her lip, holding back the cute giggles he liked. "Like those old movies about Cinderella and minuet dances. I'm not wrong, am I?"

Just a bit embarrassed by his assumption, Austin nodded. "Santo might've put that vision in my head, though. I blame him and I'm glad it wasn't. But, your dancing skills..."

"I told you I'm a horrible dancer."

"I don't think horrible is the right word for it, Ally." It wasn't. It was more extreme and disastrous than anything else. She was okay during the slow dances when someone had a handle on how she moved and where she moved, but the fast songs...that's where it went from elegant to extreme. Arms were everywhere, flying and hitting people. Her feet were stepping on everyone else and causing major damage...in fact, his toes were still throbbing thinking about it.

"I'm glad you had fun." She brought her legs up on the sofa, pulling them close to her after the last pin had come out of her hair. Ally threaded her hands through it once more before she leaned her head back on the couch, her eyes slipping open and close every so often.

"Thank you for inviting me," he said, truly meaning it. "You should take my bed. Get some sleep."

"Yea," she said, but wasn't moving an inch. Instead, she got comfortable right where she was - close to him; close enough where if he wasn't careful, she could very clearly hear his heart beating out of his chest.

* * *

This was not her bedroom. Her bedroom had more than just one window and when it was morning, you knew. This was a little window with a very deep blue curtain over it and there was absolutely no way light could get through it. This bedroom was also smaller, much smaller, with a flowery comforter spreading across her body. Ally didn't know what time it was, or how long she had slept, but she thought back to the night before - the ball, the dancing, Austin in a cape...and going back to his place.

That's where she was - at his place. In his bedroom, covered up with a comforter that looked way too girly for Austin Moon. Peaking underneath just to make sure, she was still dressed...in his clothes.

She could do this, she could remember everything. They hadn't drank that much at the ball, or rather she hadn't. She knew what was in those drinks and if she wanted to impress her professors later today, there would be no drinking more than two of those cocktails. Then she remembered treats and him giving her clothes and wine...damn it, white wine. White wine always messed with her brain and why she drank it with him, she didn't know. She was sure nothing else happened last night. Austin wouldn't do that. Since they've met, she had gotten to know Austin pretty well and he definitely would not do anything like that...but she still wanted to make sure.

Slipping out of the bedroom, Ally was surprised to see the apartment in clear light. Gone were the stacks and mountains of paper and in their place were clean surfaces. He had cleaned the apartment while she was sleeping. Her feet led her to around the corner where Austin was at the breakfast bar, headphones on and plugged into his keyboard. She didn't know how long he had been up or how long she had actually been asleep, but it was very bright outside and he had at least a full songbook filled with notes and lyrics that she was trying to read from her spot behind him.

Ally listened to him hum the tune, his fingers running over the keys and she was instantly taken with it. She didn't have to know what the song was about or any of the lyrics that went with it. Just the way the notes melted together was enough for her to like it.

"Behind your sweet smile, are confident words," his voice resonated throughout the entire apartment, not once wavering away from the music. "I saw room for me and I wanted to say things that you've never heard."

They were beautiful lyrics and she wanted to let him finish. More over, she wanted to slip in and kiss him then for writing such beautiful words. She had no reason to believe that they were about her or anyone in particular. But someone should kiss him for writing them down. Softly placing her hand on his shoulder, he looked over at her and pulled the headphones from his ears.

"Morning."

"Morning. That was beautiful Austin."

He scratched the back of his neck, a bit nervously. "Thanks. It's one that I've been struggling to finish for a while." Austin took the headphones off completely and turned towards her again. "Sleep well?"

"Yea, um...how did I get in your room? I last thing I actually recall right now is me nodding off on the sofa," Ally pointed back to the living area.

Austin nodded. "I carried you in. You're a heavy sleeper."

It was Ally's turn to choke back her nervousness. "Oh. Thanks."

"Of course."

There were questions in her eyes and she could see him trying to pry them out of her. "Okay, just like fifteen more questions and you can get rid of me. I promise," she said, taking note of his own chuckle at her statement. "What time did we stay up to? Where's the dress? What time is it now? Did we do anything other than talk? Are you still up for the next ball? Why did we drink white wine, and where's my blueberry tart?"

"Okay..." Austin led her over to the other stool, making her sit down before getting up himself and getting her some juice from the fridge. "It was about four when I took you in my room, so a bit before that. The dress is still in the bathroom, hanging on the door, along with my costume that I'm hoping you can take back to Gianna, too," Austin took a breath and checked his watch on his wrist. "It's currently ten twenty six in the morning. Yes, I'm still going to the next ball. You ate the blueberry tart last night and white wine is all I actually have. It was a gift from Santo when I first got here."

Ally nodded, processing everything he told her. "What about...did anything happen between us?"

"What do you mean? Besides talking and you crashing out on me, no," Austin said, coming back around the bar as she sipped slowly on the juice he had served her. "Ally, I wouldn't do anything to screw our friendship up."

And there it was. Ally thought she had read all his signals right. He had almost kissed her not once, but twice and now this...maybe she wasn't reading them as clear as she thought. Just a few minutes ago, she was worried about if something did happen and now that she knew that nothing did, Ally found herself wanting something to happen. She wanted something else to happen with her and Austin. Sucking in a breath and nodding, "I know you wouldn't," her voice a little sorrowful. "White wine just likes to mess with my brain a bit and I just wanted to make sure."

Austin leaned closer to her and before she knew what the hell was happening now, his lips were on her forehead. If he wasn't still just a friend, she would think this was sweet and a major boyfriend thing to do. "I have to be at the conservatory in like an hour."

Ally sucked up the disappointment she was feeling right now and nodded at him, ignoring the fact that his hand was still at the small of her back and giving her even more mixed signals. "Yea. I have an appointment at the university later too. I should get back home and clean up."

Austin kissed her forehead again, scooping up the songbook that was lying on top of the keyboard before putting it down again and escaping to his room. Ally didn't want to be there when he emerged. Taking the dress and costume from the bathroom door, she scribbled a note on his songbook and slipped out of his apartment. She wasn't going to risk having a breakdown in his apartment, in front of him. They were just friends. That's all they were.

When Austin came back out of his room, a new jacket around his body, he called himself a few names after she left. Stupid, idiot, and jerk were only three of them. He picked up his songbook again, doing a double take at the note she had left.

_I wouldn't have minded if something did happen last night._

Yea, he was the stupidest idiot jerk in Italy right now.


	11. Chapter 11

Skype was Austin Moon's best friend. His amazing best friend that kept his actual phone bill from going through the roof and instantly connected him with his friends and family back in the United States. It was the simplest thing to use and with his Macbook always in his bag, he was always just a minute away from calling them up and catching up on the things he was missing out on - like his brother actually getting a girlfriend and it lasting beyond the two week mark.

Today, he was trying to reach his very real best friend, Dez, despite his crazy schedule...or so he had assumed. When Austin left just after the holidays, Dez was off to Mexico for a video shoot and then to Los Angeles for a television show and beyond that, everything was up in the air. When they were in high school and Austin was trying to become that internet sensation, Dez was the one filming his performances and making music videos for him. Those were the videos that got him noticed and he liked to think that Dez was a major reason that he was where he was today - in Venice, recording and writing his third album; the album he had promised everyone, including Dez, that it would be better than the ones before.

Austin smirked to himself, as he took over Santo's desk in the conservatory, remembering how Dez once called the older music he had been listening to 'boring as hell'. It wasn't boring any more. Austin let the rings echo throughout the room, while pulling out some song sheets to work on, just in case. He had been working on the same song for days, and stared back at Ally's note. The same one that was haunting him and keeping him from actually finishing the tune. _Wouldn't have minded_...he wouldn't have minded either.

"Oh my God, is that Austin Moon?" Dez's voice came over his monitor, along with his impression of a teenage girl's squeals. "It is Austin Moon!"

Austin couldn't help but laugh at his friend, and he didn't think it was possible, just seeing Dez's face and, crazy clothes, made him feel better already. "Hey, man. How's it going?"

"I can't complain...really, I can't," Dez got serious. "I've been banned from complaining."

"Since when have you ever complained about anything?"

"Apparently, since I was born..." Austin watched Dez scratch his head and his orange hair flip from one side of his head to the other. "Anyhow. How's Venezia? Is it freezing? Is it just as magical as my sister keeps telling me it is? Oh, isn't it Carnival time or something, too?"

So many questions kept shooting out of Dez's mouth and Austin blew out a breath. This is what he needed, this is exactly what he needed. He needed Dez to take his mind off of Ally for just a moment or two so he could actually decide how to tell her he wanted something more too. Austin spit out answer after answer before Dez went all bug eyed about him actually participating in Carnevale.

"Wait, I'm sorry...the guy who I could not get into a Zalien costume got dressed up like a clown?"

"I wasn't a clown and I did too dress up like a Zalien," Austin argued back.

"No you didn't. You were Veloptu and The Electric Avenger...not once were you a Zalien. Which was a seriously un-cool best friend thing to do. I was the only Zalien for six Halloweens running."

"I was a Zalien, Dez. Double check that photographic memory of yours again. Third grade," Austin told him, pushing the papers in front of him to the side for now and concentrating on his friend.

Dez's eyes popped open. "How could I forget about that?"

"Maybe because that was the only year that you weren't a Zalien."

Austin caught up with his friend and found out that his directing career was exploding in more ways than one. Not only was he contracted to film all of Mixed Nuts' videos for their album, but he was a signature away from signing on for his first big movie and Austin couldn't be more excited for him. While he was dreaming of a music career, Dez was dreaming up his directing career and it looked like it was all coming true for the lifelong friends.

"You met a girl? Is Dr. Cupid back?" Austin teased Dez, when he mentioned that he was seeing someone new.

"No, he is not. But I'm taking his advice with her," he told Austin before telling her every single thing about Christina Close, who Austin immediately knew was a model. She had starred in one of Austin's first videos, which Dez had also directed. He hadn't known they kept in contact all those years but he was happy for his friend. Dez deserved a little love after the hell his former girlfriend, Carrie, had put him through.

It wasn't a pretty story. They had dated for years after high school before she had ditched him for a modeling career, leaving him not only for fame, but for another model as well. While Christina was also a model, she was a good one; and one that Austin knew he could trust with Dez. Because if Austin didn't trust her, he'd be having some words with Dez right now.

"Speaking of Dr. Cupid..." Austin tried to subtly bring Dez's alter ego up again. "I could use some of his advice."

Dez smiled wide over the screen, reaching just beyond the monitor and pulling on his fake head mirror.

"I don't even want to ask why you have that handy."

"Then don't. Just tell me the girl troubles. The doctor is in the house."

And that's exactly what Austin did. He told Dez about meeting Ally, the amazing girl who was taking up more of his thoughts than music was these days. He told him about learning Italian to speak with her, about their nightly talks at Santoli's, about the underground party, the almost kisses and about Carnevale. And then, then Austin told him about her note and how he was still thinking about her now and wishing he could rewind time and risked it all that night.

"Damn," Dez said. "That's some love story."

"What am I supposed to do? I want this girl, Dez. I want her so bad, but I'm here for another month, tops, before I come back. I have no clue about her plans...if she's staying here or going somewhere else. And then there's the question of if we do do this and it's amazing and I never want to go back to Los Angeles or..."

"Hold up," Dez stopped him from his freak out. "First, breathe. Second, I think before you freak out even more and go insane, you need to tell her how you feel."

"How do I feel?"

Dez laughed at him. "Pretty sure you're in love with her. You learned a foreign language for her, dude. When has Austin Moon ever been girl shy?"

"I think you're thinking of another Austin Moon."

Dez was right of course, but Austin wouldn't admit that until he actually talked with Ally...whenever that might be. He had tried to see her at Santoli's for the past two nights, but always missed her. Suzetta had told him that she came in earlier and left before he arrived. He saw the worried look in Suzetta's eyes and assured her that they were still friends, but that's all he would say, and honestly, he wasn't sure if Ally wanted to be friends with him anymore. Not since he tried to do the right thing and be the gentleman after a long night at the ball. He didn't want to take advantage of the situation. He wanted their first anything to be something they would both remember and both want.

It wasn't long after Dez's advice that he had to go, citing a date night with Christina in an hour's time. Closing down his computer, Austin pulled the papers he was working on back to the center of the desk and stared back down at Ally's note. He knew what he had to do, he just didn't know how or when, but it had to be before Friday's ball, which was two days away, and he didn't think he could take two more days without seeing her. When he thought of Venice now, it wasn't just the music and mystery that popped into his mind. She did. She was his Venice.

* * *

He was done, he was finally done. After a month spent on just this one song, it was finally finished. Finally. Austin replayed the recording he put on his computer and listened to it again, and again, singing the lyrics he now had memorized from working on it this long. _Whatever it takes, to make you believe. From the depths of my soul, I want you to know I would do anything_...that was song number nine. With five more almost completed, Austin let himself do a bit of a happy dance in his living room about his progress.

He hadn't expected to actually have this many songs done by now. He thought it would take longer and honestly, he kind of wanted it to. He was in Venice, during Carnevale, and there was this girl who he had fallen in deep like with who made him want to stay in the city forever...or as long as she was. Running his hands over his face and through his hair, Austin let his eyes close, resting up from a few intense days of raging and confused feelings and trying to get recording time at the conservatory. He had made a few trades, promising the string quartet a mention or two to his record label for the half day they had scheduled.

Austin wasn't completely tired, but with the second ball just the next day, he was trying to save all his energy for it; assuming he was still invited after all this mess he had caused with Ally and him. It was the last ball of the annual event, and closed out the festivities. He had liked seeing all the costumes around the city and took their pictures as much as he could, looking like a complete tourist as he did so. Then again, he sort of was a tourist...there were group costumes and couple costumes and beyond the traditional uniforms he had seen, he had also laughed when he saw some tourists dress up as The Avengers. It was hilarious to him and he was going to mention that to Gianna the next time he saw her.

He hoped that was soon because with less than 40 hours to go, he was still costume-less. And without Gianna's number handy or even where to find her, he was just waiting. Waiting, and wondering. Wondering what the costume actually looked like and even more curious about what Ally's costume looked like. He remembered seeing her in a frame of a dress for that first dinner with the family and she was breathtaking then. Trying to see it all done in his mind, Ally was a stunning White Queen and while he knew things would possibly be awkward, he was looking forward to seeing her.

His almost nap was interrupted by frantic knocks on his door. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it read five o'clock and it wasn't that he was expecting anyone that night. He just hadn't been expecting anyone at all. The only people who knew he lived there were Santo, his landlord...and Ally. Ally. Shooting up from the sofa, Austin pulled open the door with urgency, only to let his shoulders slump when it wasn't a short brunette with rich eyes staring back at him. It was a taller blonde with green eyes instead.

"Not the greeting I was expecting," Gianna let herself in, pushing him back in the room.

"Buon giorno, Gianna," Austin greeted her, closing his door and looking at the full garment bag in her hand. His costume, it had to be. "How do you know where I live?"

After setting the bag on the dining table, she turned back and gave him another bag he didn't see her carrying. "Ally told me. These are yours."

Austin looked inside. His old shirt and sweatpants. The ones Ally wore just a few days ago, all folded up and neatly put into the shopping bag. While he appreciated them all washed and laundered, he was just a little gutted they were. Having his clothes smell like her...wait, when did he turn into a girl? Shaking the thought from his mind, he tossed the bag into his room and turned back to Gianna. "How is she?"

Gianna shrugged as she pulled her straight hair into a long ponytail. "She's okay...I don't know what happened between you two because she won't talk about it, but she's burying herself in university work and she hasn't done that in a long while. Can you tell me what happened?"

Austin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "I screwed up, that's what happened."

"Come vi si fallisce? Inizia dall'inizio."

How was he supposed to explain this to her? He didn't even know how to explain it to himself. So, he did like she asked and he started from the beginning; and not just the beginning of the previous night a few days ago. He started from the complete beginning, when he saw her running like a crazy person through Campo San Margherita. Austin told Gianna of finally meeting her after Suzetta and Guisto pushed him to talk to her, even though he would've talked to her anyhow. He told her about actually trying to learn Italian instead of just memorizing a few words to impress Ally. He went on and on about falling into a deep like with Ally, and there was absolutely no way to reverse it.

"I know your love story, Austin...what happened after the ball?"

"I screwed up. I was trying to be the gentleman and not force anything...and it blew up in my face. I was the biggest idiot. I want her, Gianna, but I didn't want to be that guy; that popstar who assumes and takes what he wants and gets slapped for it," Austin slipped down into one of the dining room chairs and looked up at her. "Am I uninvited from Carnevale?"

Gianna laughed at him, taking a seat beside him. "You're still Ally's Lost King, Austin. Just...don't be an idiot tomorrow. Fix it and show her you want her, so the White Queen and her Cavaliere can be together."

"It's all about the Queen finding her King, isn't it?"

"Of course," Gianna winked at him, unzipping the garment bag where they sat. "Now, stand up. Let's get this fitted to you."

Show her. Show her. He could show her...and from then on, he wouldn't be almost kissing her. He'd be doing it.


	12. Chapter 12

Music swirled around her in a blast, making her dizzy like she was on a tilt-o-whirl at an American carnival. In fact though, she was far from the dance floor and the Nicoletti family had only just stepped inside the old palace with Benedetto and Silvana leading the way and Gianna becoming her Carnevale dictator self that everyone had gotten a dose of over the week.

Ally had spent the entire day being made into a White Queen...and when she said White Queen, she put emphasis on white. Vittoria had sprayed her hair white, Gianna handled her incredibly beautiful white gown and Paola was painting her skin, nails and face white. The only true color on her body was the deep ruby on her lips, and they wouldn't even be seen behind her custom volto mask. While she was personally convinced that the red lips were unnecessary and no one would really be seeing them anyhow, her host sisters and even Silvana thought otherwise.

She looked around the elegant foyer, feeling extremely small next to the larger than life statues and even bigger frescos on the wall. They depicted the whole history of the fallen Kingdom, from its start through its battles and even to its fall. It was a time when Ally wished she could've been a fly on the wall to see the city in its hay day and she was instantly lost in the murals as her eyes drifted across, ignoring her family she was with as they moved to the opposite side of the lobby. While they headed towards the stairs, she was backing up and inspecting the paintings with a fine eye.

"Aletta," Silvana called her name and she turned, only to be met with not only her host mother, but her Lost King - Austin.

Taking a deep breath, Ally stepped back into her place, thankful her mask was hiding all her emotions behind it. He looked amazing, which she wasn't surprised at, she was just taken aback at how good he could look inside a costume. His own volto mask covered his face and topped with a silver crown, matching her own on her head. A red sash crossed his upper body under his cape, almost matching her lips that were hidden. She heard him greet her and as much as she wanted to leap forward and hug him tight, telling him that she had missed him this past week - but she didn't. She wouldn't.

It wasn't long before her white robe was shed and Gianna lined everyone up in two straight lines, with Austin positioned close to her. She had done a practice run earlier in the day, upon Gianna's insistence and knew how this went. Her court would walk ahead of her, all in off white suits and dresses, while she and her Lost King would make their royal arrival. They would be at the top of the grandeur staircase and the court would part, letting the reigning monarchs look over their 'subjects'. Yes, this was all from the mind of Gianna Maria Nicoletti. All of it.

Ally would do it, even if she didn't want to. In all honesty, she wanted to do one of two things - run away as far as she could from Austin and bury herself even further into university work before her graduation came and her job was secured, or she wanted to tear off both of their masks and show him just what she wanted to happen after the last ball. If only she was braver...and either way, it would completely screw up Gianna's vision.

Ally had taken on a temp T.A. position and flat lined more university students hopes of getting better marks on their papers than they truly deserved. While the students argued with her and pleaded and gave her the poorest excuses about why their papers were late or unsatisfactory, she was most times in a daydream; a wonderful daydream that had his lips on her and his hands all over her body. She was never craved someone before, it was all new to her and instead of that energy doing just that, it was being wasted on fifty or so thirty page papers all in Italian.

The snap of Gianna's fingers got her out of her trance and she looked away from Austin, shaking away her feelings again. _Just get through the night for Gianna_. Ally adjusted her dress, lifting up the layers of satin and chiffon as she slipped her hand around Austin's forearm; and as soon as she did that, the butterflies in her stomach started to fly around in circles. He had pulled his other hand from his side and placed it over hers, giving it a squeeze. It wasn't something that anyone would pick up on or even consider intimate, but it was. His thumb skimmed across her fingers and she was sure if he was unmasked, he could kiss them...or maybe that was in her mind. He couldn't see her lips curve into a half smile or the blush creep through her white makeup.

Ally followed his steps and just like they were supposed to, looked down over their 'subjects' before descending the stairs to the grand ballroom. Decorated in deep reds and rich golds, Ally suddenly realized why Gianna went with the white theme for their group costume. Her eyes darted from the dance floor to the band in the corner before drifting towards a long buffet table filled with treats of every kind. Streamers and balloons hung in the air with multicolored pinwheels reflecting off chandeliers spread throughout the ballroom. It was, in a word, magical.

She walked along Austin's side, around the room and towards a long table instead of round. She smirked under her mask - Gianna was taking the theme and their costumes way too seriously. On top of the golden chargers were porcelain white plates and so many pieces of silverware and glasses, with tiny name cards telling them all where to sit. Hers and Austin's had tiny crowns on them, of course. A menu sat between every other place setting, telling them just what they would be eating and how much. Ally was glad she really hadn't eaten anything all day...of course Gianna nor Silvana were giving anyone any chance to eat anything either. She had been up at eight, checking her emails as soon as she woke for any work about her doctorate status before being pulled out of her bed and pushed into the shower.

Seraphina had done her hair as soon as she stepped out of it and it was possibly her favorite thing about her whole costume. Twisted up into a low bun were braids upon braids with a sole fishtail one circling one side of her face behind her mask.

"Va bene a tutti, e possibile togliersi le maschere ora," Gianna said, passing by Ally and Austin with her date, Vincenzo, to sit on his side.

Behind her volto mask as a Colombina one, and behind his as well. While her face was painted up, and her lips still the ruby red, his was not. Ally looked closer at him and only his eyes were lined with the black paint like the others. Now, it all clicked for her. He would be drawn to her lips and her, to his eyes. His eyes that were so rich she could and would dream and stare at them all day, or night long. They were gentle and supportive at the same time they were seductive and enticing. _Damn it, Gianna_, Ally silently cursed her friend. She looked away, bringing her eyes to the menu again, just as he pulled the chair out for her.

"Thank you," she said to him, almost silently.

He took a seat in the chair next to her almost immediately. "Of course, my Queen."

_Don't smile, don't smile_...crap. She was smiling. What the hell was it about him that no matter how confused he made her, he was still the most likeable guy she'd ever friended? She wanted to be mad at him - but she couldn't.

"You look beautiful, by the way." He started to itch his face where the mask ended at the side of his ear.

Ally stopped him, her hand covering his own and a shock going through her fingertips. "Don't do that. Here," she put her fingertip in the water glass before spreading it over his skin. "The coolness will distract your nerves...and thank you." She took a breath, her hand sliding down his arm just as his own stomach grumbled and she bit back a laugh.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten all day."

"I don't think any of us have," she said, pulling out the menu from its envelope on the plate and let her eyes soak up all the delicious meals that were planned. Ally spied the crab and risotto dish that already had her mouth watering. There was scampi and sea bass as well, with potatoes, olives and cherry tomatoes, paired with strawberries and merlots and champagnes. They needed to eat now because even just reading the menu was making her even hungrier.

The group settled down around the table as the bells went off and the master of ceremonies took to the stage, welcoming everyone and all to Il Ballo del Doge. Ally zoned out as he recited the words that were a part of a speech they gave every year. They thanked the patrons, the guests, the caterers...again, making her hungry and she was silently counting down the minutes until he got to the prayer and the first appetizer made its way to the table and in front of her face.

Ally heard Silvana clear her throat across the table, her eyes staring down at her host daughter and Ally straightened right up, presenting herself as a true Queen...whatever that was. She had been excited for this ball last week, but now...well, circumstances made it hard to really enjoy. Not only was she dealing with the what if's of her and Austin's relationship, but also her graduation status. There were two months left in her fellowship and beyond that, if her thesis wasn't approved, she could kiss her dream job goodbye. It wasn't long before food was in front of her and she honestly, did not care about the stares Silvana was going to give her. Ally practically shoveled the food in her mouth, just like the rest of the Nicoletti clan. Not feeding anyone for an entire day would do that. Food, food was good...

* * *

The songs were slower now, a few hours into the prestigious shindig and Austin was searching in the crowded floor for his Queen. While yes, group dances were ok, he was still adamant about her only dancing with him and vice versa. Hell, he had already turned down Vittoria and another party goer, who had had one too many flutes of champagne. While Vittoria had understood and hugged him tight, telling him that he and Ally were her favorite love story, the latter had had some other colorful words to say to him.

It wasn't much of a loss to him, considering he had already made up his mind about tonight. Tonight, Ally would know for certain that he was trying to be the good guy even though he wanted more that night. He wouldn't have minded either if something did happen between them, in fact, he wanted something to happen. He had come to Venice for the music and falling in deep like with her was not part of the plan. However, weren't plans just that? Only plans to do certain things and whatever else came about...his mind was getting away from him.

After talking to Dez, and then Gianna, and then diving into Paul Dukas' symphonies the day before, Austin knew exactly how he felt about Ally. She was someone, that if he closed his eyes and opened them back up, wouldn't mind waking up to her every morning. She was someone that even though he had only heard her sing once, had her voice in his head all the time. She was someone who he wanted to share his whole world with - his music, his fears, his extreme love for pancakes...just everything.

Austin peered through his mask, wandering from the west corner and spotting her with Rico on the south end of the floor. Crown still on his head, he swerved throughout the packed floor and in between the dancing duos, all to get to Ally, his Queen, and when he finally got to her, he cleared his throat loudly with Rico bowing out and him slipping in seamlessly.

"Do you not remember me saying that you are only to dance with me?"

"It was only Rico."

"But I'm your King..." Austin squeezed her hand that he held close to his heart. "I'm taking Gianna's vision to an extreme, aren't I?"

She nodded. "I'm about to start calling you Gianna 2.0."

The tempo of the song was slow and a bit jazzy, something he personally loved mashing together. Humming the tune to her, Austin spun her around and back into him, moving their way across the dance floor. He knew the words to this tune but was sure that singing it to her would not sweep her off her feet. Instead, he needed to actually talk to her and apologize and then, maybe, he'd sing one of his own songs to her. One that he wrote just for her; the one he had recorded mere hours before meeting the family at the entrance for the ball. But he wouldn't tell her that he wrote it for her. Not just yet.

"I'm sorry, Ally."

She furrowed her brow. "For what?"

"For last week," he said and stopped her before she could ask or say a million other things. "I'm just sorry. I really like you and I was trying to be the gentleman and not screw things up with you by taking advantage of the place we were in. Looking back, inviting just you back to my place probably wasn't the best idea. I didn't know how you felt and mucking up what we have now is something I don't want to do."

Austin took a breath, listening as the beat of the music changed to something more upbeat. He kept her close to him though, as if they were still dancing to a slower song. "I didn't want to force anything between us when we both were tired and I will admit I was a little drunk. I don't do classic popstar moves and take a girl to bed just because I am a popstar. I definitely do not want to do that with you. You're more, Ally."

"Aus..."

"I'm not done," he hushed her. "I haven't been in a real relationship since high school and with me leaving in who knows how many weeks, I didn't and don't want to lead you on."

"Then we don't think about that," Ally said, chiming in before he could clamp her lips together. "We don't think about you leaving and me leaving. We just...I like you too." She looked down towards the ground for a moment, and he silently pleaded for her to look back up at him. "I don't want to screw anything up either. I just read too much into things and...well, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have left like that."

"But you weren't," he interjected and meant it. She hadn't read any signs from him incorrectly. He wanted her, wanted all of her...but just telling her that out right, well, it was his turn to be worried about scaring her away. "You weren't reading any signals wrong."

Austin stared down at her, standing still and not moving with her to the music any longer. He was done talking. Now was the time to show her; show her what he had been feeling since the underground party, and since the conservatory..._stop thinking Austin, just kiss her_...and that's exactly what he did. He released her hand, sliding his palm up the softness of her cloaked white skin and pulled her lips onto his. The ruby red lips that he had been wondering what they tasted like all night. They were enticing and he knew Gianna had everything to do with that. Something she didn't have anything to do with however, was just how amazing a kiss it would be.

He meant for it only to be a short kiss, but just one taste and he was wanting more...and more, and more. Austin tried to pull her closer, his lips parting and most likely wiping every bit of her lipstick off of her. She tasted of the Merlot that had been served with dinner and a bit of the strawberries he saw her steal off the caterers dessert table. He felt her own lips part and kiss him back, giving him full access to her mouth and he took full advantage, biting at her bottom lip.

With no drunk idiots to break them apart this time, or at least he hoped, Austin kissed her lips again and opened his eyes to see hers still closed. He kept her close as the music went on, the ruby color faded but not all gone. "You never misread any signals," he whispered and picked up their dance again.

A slow waltz replaced the simple side step they had done before and in between the twirls and turns and the quick break to keep them both hydrated, there were more and more kisses between them. And while Gianna and the family were celebrating with all the champagne, all Austin had to say about it all, was finally. _Finally, finally, finally._

* * *

He kissed her on the dance floor. He held her hand. He kissed her on the boat ride across the Grand Canal. He kissed her again as they passed over each and every bridge on their way back to the Nicoletti's. They stopped at Santoli's before getting there, where he kissed her again before they feasted on the best coffee in Venice and new sweets from Suzetta.

Ally couldn't get the part about him kissing her out of her mind. This was Austin Moon, worldwide superstar that had most of the female population at his beck and call...and he was kissing her and he was holding her hand; and he even stripped of his blazer for her to stay even warmer when they left the ball together.

"All cards on the table," she heard him say and watched him set his coffee mug back on the table between them. "I didn't plan on this. On you."

Ally raised her eyebrow a bit, her hands fiddling with her own cup. It was like she didn't know what to do now, after holding his hand in hers. "All cards on the table? I didn't plan on you either."

"I don't want to...damn it."

She could tell he was defeated...it was the same for her. She had only so many weeks left here and she didn't want to start something if they couldn't continue it. She had had her share of flings over the past years in the city, but this time, it wasn't a fling. After experiencing Carnevale with him and taking him to an underground party and listening to his music, there was no way he could ever be a fling.

He let out a deep breath as soon as Suzetta filled up his mug again with some warm coffee. "I'm leaving in a month."

She nodded. "Month and a half for me." Ally let out her own deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I don't know what to say here. You occupy my thoughts so much that I can't finish writing songs."

Ally had to smile at that. As awful as that was with him not writing songs, knowing she was the main cause of it was sort of flattering. "I give students incompletes at the university because I zone out on their papers and end up humming your songs and can't remember what their papers were about."

It was Austin's turn to smile then. This was a difficult situation and in a perfect world they'd be that couple that would reunite back home and make plans and in the back of her mind, she secretly wanted that. She wanted to make plans and be one of those cliche couples who put all the others to shame. Sure, she knew that she'd be seen as the girl who would just be after his fame or whatever, but it was hardly the case. She liked Austin before she knew he was Austin Moon; before he sang her sweet melodies and before he learned Italian to impress her host family.

"What do we do?" Ally asked him, wanting him to make the first move on this one. His job was the one more complicated than hers and it was definitely a major factor in their possible future together.

"I don't know," he admitted before pulling on his chair and placing it next to hers. His arm wrapped around her chair and she turned towards him. "I know I still want to keep seeing you every day."

"Yea?"

"Si," he spoke in the huskiest tone that was almost music to her ears. "Day by day? You want to go out with me Ally?"

She met his eyes; brown to brown and shook off the shiver he was giving her. It was her turn to kiss him now and in that kiss was a thousand yeses. A yes for seeing him everyday. A yes for going out with him like a girlfriend would. A yes for kissing him every chance she got...a thousand yeses.


	13. Chapter 13

There was a melody in his head and it was one that he couldn't get out of his mind for the past week. Austin could blame, or more thank, Ally for it. After their kiss at the ball, he'd been stealing many more from her each and every day after and could not get enough of them. Her lips had tasted of strawberries the night of the ball, and they changed each day. At first he could still taste the berries, but then there were oranges, and grapes and the latest flavor he was still licking his own lips over was caramel.

They had met up every day between her classes and in between his own time at the conservatory at Santoli's and in Campo Santo Margherita and outside his apartment and basically, wherever they could to spend time together. Austin had found out even more about the girl who he'd become captivated with - she could talk about music just as much as he could, she had an unhealthy addiction to pickles and was very, very proud of her role as president of a cloud watching club. He laughed so hard at the last confession from her. He figured she'd be having the best time right now in Venice, seeing as the entire sky was filled with gray ones. But the biggest thing he found out about her was that she had grown up in Miami, just like he had. It was still amazing to him that they were from the same hometown and he hadn't known about her his entire life. Miami was a big city...but not that big that you didn't know about the cool kids at a different high school down the road.

Austin leaned up against the sound booth while Santo made the final adjustments to the song he had just recorded and waited for the playback. While the lyrics and music were all him, and very much all about Ally, this wasn't a song for the album he was making for himself. This was a song for someone else, someone who was still looking for love.

_There's something in the air tonight, something electric. The point where love ignites, the center of the heart. You never see it comin', no. There isn't a warning, no reason, not a sign, but you can feel it everywhere. There's something in the air._

Even his voice didn't match the song, but it didn't mean that it wasn't a good song. Austin smirked as Santo leaned back further in his seat and smugly smiled up at him. "You like this one."

"I do," Santo nodded. "I just wish your voice matched it."

Austin laughed right back. "Yes, because I'm going to be that sappy artist now," he shook his head. "This is more for The Magnolias or even that new artist my label just signed. What's her name..."

"Greycen Mars," Santo finished for him and Austin snapped his fingers, pointing at his friend. "This would be good for her. It's a slow ballad she would be amazing at."

Austin hopped back into the booth again, and dove head first into the other track he had written that he knew for a fact wouldn't be on his album, or the next. This was another one that he had to get out of his head before it exploded and to move on to the next song. This one was faster, and definitely something you could've found on his two previous albums; full of sugary pop about running after a girl and getting her. It was a good song, he was biased on that part, but again, he knew it wasn't for him. It was for another artist, but he had to get it out of his mind so he could work on the other tracks he was sending off to his label tonight.

Talking with them earlier in the day, along with Santo, they all loved the first two songs he had sent them a few weeks ago and were anxious to hear the rest. In fact, they were so excited, they had already pre-booked him for appearances on The Today Show, and Good Morning America and so many late night talk shows that he had lost count. Together, they had ball parked for a fall drop date and to him, that meant that as soon as he was finished with the last song in Venice, he would have to head back to the States. A part of him was excited, getting to promote an album he was insanely proud of, and another part of him was saying, no, don't go just yet. You just met this girl may well be the love of your life.

His voice kept singing the words he had written down in the microphone, headphones over his ears as he listened to the chords. _The clock's turning around, and you're still playing these games. It's such a waste to bring me down, down, down, don't being me down cause...hey girl, I wanna catch your wave._

Austin let his worries drift away with the upbeat tempo. He didn't see Ally enter the studio until he was on the last chord and he waved at her while she greeted Santo. The university wasn't far from the conservatory and he had assumed that they would meet later at Santoli's, but he wasn't against seeing her now. He'd never be against that, especially when she was looking hot as hell despite the cool weather outside. Austin hurried the last lines of the song, pulling the headphones off as soon as he could and swept her up in a kiss as soon as he opened the door of the booth. They had only been apart for, well, most of the day, and he was amazed how fast he could miss her beside him. It wasn't long before Santo left them for a date of his own and Austin was leading her up that grand staircase she had been admiring since her first visit and up to the rooftop.

"How was your day?" he asked her, looping his arms around her middle as she leaned lightly on the railing that lined the perimeter of the building, supporting the stone.

Ally leaned back into him, his mouth lightly brushing her temple. "Tiring. I don't think I thought it through when I took the position. I don't like being a T.A. at all."

Austin laughed at her. "Why not?"

"Mostly because the professor I'm working with has me doing his dirty work. I got to tell three people today that they're masters degrees wouldn't be coming because they failed to get the proper grade on their final papers," she told him as he came to stand beside her. "Worst job ever."

Austin took her hand in his, trying to keep them warm at the same time as just wanting to have it in his palm. "Doesn't sound fun at all."

"It wasn't. Crushing dreams is not what I signed up for, and remember when I told you that arguing in Italian was better than in English? Not so much anymore," Ally let her fingers crawl over his hand. "What about your day? I pray it was better than mine."

"Not to brag, but it was," he smiled up at her. "Recorded five songs today, including some demos of the songs I'm not going to use." He watched as her face lit up at him, like his news wiped all her bad ones away in a minute.

"Austin, that's fantastic. I can't wait to hear all these songs again."

"Soon," he promised her as the drifting sunlight that was peaking out of the gray sky hit him in the eyes. Before he met Ally, the rooftop was a place he loved to come, just for the sunsets alone. Now that she was with him, it made the place that much better. He knew that they would need to talk about what would happen when he was leaving and when she was leaving and if they even had a future outside of Venice...but this place, with the sunset, and with Ally...there was nothing topping that feeling right now.

Austin had thought he knew what love felt like before, but apparently, he didn't. They had only really been dating, if you could call it that at all, for a week. But within that week, every single time he saw her, touched her, kissed her, talked with her, even just being around her was a rush. A complete rush that he liked having. It gave him something to look forward to every day on top of making music and he would be lying if he said that she didn't inspire new lyrics or a new melody that he would wake up in the middle of the night with. He'd be lying even more if you asked him if any of the songs on his new album were about her. They were.

Now, after picking up some coffees to go and with the promise of food at his place, he was leading her back up to his apartment, without the dress of a thousand layers this time. And with every intention of not letting her leave without showing her he most definitely wanted more. He opened the door to his place and let her slip inside first this time around, not worrying about any messes he left out. She knew him now, and his messes - the ones were papers were all over the place, records piled on top of each other in teetering stacks and song sheets were spread out over a keyboard on his breakfast bar - were a part of his career.

"You still need to clean this," she muttered and took a seat at the bar where her eyes were now glued to his musings while he pulled out something to eat from his fridge.

"I think it looks better than when you were first here."

Ally looked around as he started to prepare some simple sandwiches before he saw her hands pulling together the sheets that were sitting his keyboard. He looked up from his expert culinary skills and watched her study the sheet music, her fingers following the notes he had written down just the night before. His eyes followed her hands as she tapped them against the bar and smirked, secretly wanting her to turn on the instrument in front of her to play.

"Do you like that?" he got her attention once again and Ally looked up at him, nodding. "It's not finished yet. Maybe you can help me with it later...after you eat."

"You want me to help you?" Her right eyebrow lifted up just so as he took a seat beside her and pushed the sandwich towards her.

He was already mid-bite when she asked and after clearing his throat and making sure all the food was down, he nodded in confirmation. "Yea. I mean, you know music, Ally and from what I recall, you did tell me that you still write stuff."

"But that's just for fun and when I have time, it's not for...Austin, I'm sure your music will be better if I'm not in it."

"But you are," he confessed, his hand grazing over her wrist. "If you think you aren't already in my music, Ally, you're very mistaken."

Austin stared back at her before it was her sweeping him up into a kiss instead of the other way around and he liked it. Ally stood up from the stool and her hands slithered up the sides of his neck. She bit on his lip, teasing him along the way as her tongue met his in a duel. He wanted to pick her up right then and take her to his bed...but he didn't. Not yet, not this soon. While his mind and heart were struggling about if it really was that soon at all, Austin pulled back but kept her close to him with his arms locked around her waist.

"That, was the cheesiest, corniest and most romantic thing I've ever heard a guy say."

"It worked though, didn't it?" he winked, capturing her lips once more with a quick kiss. "And it's true. Now, eat, so we can make some music together."

* * *

Ally needed someone to pinch her. Right now. To wake her up from this dream, this most wonderful dream and bring her back to reality. Wait, maybe she didn't want to be woken up. Not when she was cuddling up with the sexiest guy in her life, and possibly the planet and writing up lyrics to a melody he had just written minutes before. Ally hadn't made any type of music since she was in high school, and even then, it was shown to nobody and sharing this, doing this right now with Austin, was actually making her dreams come true. He loved music just as much, maybe even more than she did and she hadn't found that in any other guy she had been involved with in her life. She loved it.

After eating the sandwich he had made for her, Austin surprised her with red wine, not white and she was now on her second glass, spitting out word after word and hoping they worked together while he wrote them down on his notepad. They had started off with a quote she remembered, one that she loved and went from there. Now, they were two verses in and Ally was on a high.

She leaned forward, putting her glass back on the table and looked over Austin's shoulder, letting her leg drop from the sofa and hang over it lightly. "Play the melody again," she said and his hands floated over the keys of the keyboard and letting the notes escape the instrument and fill up the apartment. "I think we need more. It's like the notes won't cover the lyrics. Add i flat at the end and an E at the beginning."

Austin played them again with the added notes, and she slipped her hand over his, pressing them again, producing a harsher play than what he was doing. Gone was the ballad that they both thought they were writing and in place of it was a emotion driven beat that in all honesty, was turning her on.

"I was in trouble, trouble, Knee deep in trouble, trouble," Ally sang the words of the chorus before Austin picked them up.

"When you smiled, laughed and looked my way. Weak in the knees is something I thought I'd never be."

Ally let her hand linger over his as he looked back at her, and she watched his eyes dart from her own to her lips many times over and as much as she wanted to finish the song and work on music with him, she couldn't deny the fact that she would love to make another type of music with him right now. She had no clue if she or they were ready for that though...they had only just started to be together and in mere weeks, they'd be separated again. She just didn't want to regret anything with him and something told her that if they were going to take this next step, no matter how soon, she wouldn't be regretting it. "I was in trouble, trouble..."

Her hand wandered over his shirt covered torso and down his arm, squeezing his muscle just before he turned into her and kissed her soundly. His mouth covered her own and he leaned into her, laying her back on the couch. She could feel his tongue teasing her lips and parted them open, giving him all the access he wanted and needed. Ally hadn't been kissed like this in a while. It was full of lust and passion and if she could remember, her last kiss like this was with her second cousin's ex-boyfriend last year. She was drunk and he was drunk over said cousin's wedding and their little one night stand was never mentioned again. This time around, with Austin...it was definitely more; much, much more and what started out as just a few kisses was turning into a heated makeout session. One that she wasn't against at all.

Ally's lips felt cold as his mouth left her own, trailing even more kisses over her chin and down her neck. She was enjoying every single minute of this and while she wanted to give herself fully to him, she was second guessing everything after that. There were so many what ifs and what thens that her head was truly spinning. "Austin..." she barely mumbled his name before his mouth made her moan even more as he sucked on her clavicle. She'd always thought her sweet spot was on her thigh, seeing as she always went over the edge when a guy would slide his hands over them, but now with Austin's tongue and lips drawing any and all kinds of pictures on her shoulder blade, maybe that was it.

"Austin," she called his name again. "The song. We need to finish the song."

Austin didn't stop though...at least not at that direct moment. He kissed over the top of her chest, up to her chin before sealing her lips with another sensual kiss. "You," he kissed them once more, with his hand rubbing the skin underneath her sweater and his thumb teasing her all over and making her stomach do flips. Not the flips when she was starting to really like him weeks before, but the kind of flips you get when you really, really like someone and are praying and hoping you don't do anything to screw it up. "You are definitely worth the trouble."

Ally scrunched her nose up at him, rolling her eyes at his chessy-ness that she was secretly loving. She giggled and pushed him back playfully after he kissed her nose before pulling her up with him. She adjusted her sweater again and repositioned herself on the sofa, ready to work with him on the song again. Ally watched him write more words on the page, almost completing the song immediately and pulled the keyboard closer to them from the coffee table. His fingers flew over the keys once more, producing more hard notes rather than soft ones and singing the words aloud. This song they just wrote in one night wasn't really different from his other songs, but it was at the same time. It was full of fire and want and if she could say so, lust. Much like she was actually feeling right now.

She looked at him working, a pencil in his mouth while he tuned the finer notes out. In just a matter of days, she had gone from feeling like she was still in high school and finding out that the star quarterback on the football team who she had been crushing on all year was feeling the same about her, to being that almost college graduate trying to figure out if she was going to stay with the quarterback after four years in university together. She wanted to do things with him, do it all actually, but before she could even think about that happening, they needed to talk about all those what ifs and what thens and what's going to happen afterwards. And seeing as most of the song was indeed done, at least for her, there was no better time, right? Right.

"Austin, can we talk?"

He stopped working on the keyboard and looked over at her, taking the pencil out of his mouth instantly. "Not the best words to ever hear."

"Sorry. I don't mean them like that," Ally paused, taking a drink of the wine that was begging her to consume it. "I just...I'm turning into this giddy high school girl here and the girl who wants to define everything and I don't want to be that, but...you're leaving in a few weeks, I'm leaving after that and..."

"So let's define it," Austin leaned back, taking the glass from her hands and drinking a bit of it himself.

"What I mean is...wait, what?"

"We define this," he said once more. "I'm not going to lead you on or take advantage of what we have here. You mean a great deal to me."

"You mean a lot to me too," she admitted, stringing her fingers through her hair and pulling it to the side. "When do you leave again?"

"Two weeks."

That was two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty six hours. Most of which she planned to spend by his side, in his personal space and in his bed. Did she really just think that? Ally gulped, "Where to?"

"Los Angeles," he answered quickly. "And then home before I start album promotion, but that's a little aways."

"Four weeks for me."

"Where?" he grabbed her hand, letting his fingers trace over her own before letting it sit safely in his bigger one. It had been a long time since she felt protected with just one touch like that. Austin just had this way of making her feel everything all at once and she wasn't sure how he was doing it.

"Home first," Ally shrugged her shoulders. "I have to see my Dad since I haven't seen him in six months. And we don't have to define this. I just don't want you to regret anything or..."

"Ally," Austin cut her off like he had before and with his strong hands, pulled her whole being closer to him. "I'm not going to regret anything about you, or this trip. I think we should let what happens happen, and before we leave, we make sure we have every type of phone number, emails, addresses, everything. I'm not making this out to be just a fling."

Ally looked back into his eyes again, the ones she would always get lost in. Tonight, they weren't the welcoming shade of brown she was used to seeing, and they weren't the deep chocolate she fell for all over again at the ball. No, tonight they were more of a burnt bronze and lined with flickers of mahogany. Tonight they weren't friendly, but they were serious and genuine and meaning every word that his mouth was uttering to her. They were also desirable and enticing and sexy and if she didn't leave in at least the next half hour, she wouldn't leave at all.

"This isn't just a fling for me either. I guess I'm just worried about it all. I mean, you're this globe trotting musician and I'm not even sure if I'm getting that consulate job. I'm worried that once we both hit U.S. soil, we'll be out of touch and all we'll have is Venice and yea, it's a great romance to have, but in my mind, I just want it to be more."

Austin brushed his hand through the bottom tresses of her hair and let it rest on her neck before she took the lead and made the space between them disappear. His lips were velvety against hers and she honestly didn't want it to end...but it had to. He had a full day of recording tomorrow and she had another day full of crushing students dreams who were too lazy to do the work, and if she stayed...she would be truly staying all night and all throughout the next day, convincing him to stay with her.

Ally bit on his bottom lip, and pressed another kiss on him again, she smiled up at him. "I have to go."

He shook his head, and their noses rubbed against each other. "No. No you don't."

She smiled even more. "I have to. You have an early day tomorrow and I do too," Ally pushed off the couch and went to retrieve her coat with him following close behind her. Zipping it up, she turned around once again for her shoes and bag, pulling it around her body so it rested on her hip. One more turn again found her facing him all tall and handsome and staring down at her with a lustful gaze. _No, Ally, you have to go._ "Santoli's tomorrow?"

"When's the last time I missed Santoli's?"

"Good point," she pointed up at him and was reached the doorknob, opening it up just a nudge when he surprised her. The door shut immediately and he had her backed up against the old entryway, his lips on hers in seconds. If she didn't want to leave before, it was nearly impossible now. Austin snaked his arms around her coat and she knew it would only take two seconds for her to jump up and swing her legs around him. But just as soon as she thought those thoughts, he broke their kiss and tugged on the shearling collar, making sure it was covering all spots of her skin. That was a good night kiss she could live with getting every day of her life.

"Santoli's tomorrow afternoon."

Ally kissed him once more before opening the door again and headed down the stairway. The cool air hit her as soon as she was out of his building and skipping ahead to the bridge, she didn't want to be that cliche and look back, but she did and there he was, watching her from his balcony. She shoved her hands inside her coat pockets and turned back around, and started to count down the hours until she would meet him at their cafe tomorrow, as she had now been calling it in her mind.

They had two weeks. Two weeks.


	14. Chapter 14

"I can't believe you're almost done, honey. I am so proud of you."

Ally blushed at her dad's compliments. She had called Lester earlier in the day and after shoving every customer out of the way and put his new employee into the line of fire with them all at the store, he had dived into a conversation about anything and everything. She had told him that she was almost done with everything and there were only a few more weeks until she was coming home.

Home. It was a strange thing to call Miami home still. For the past few years, home had been in Venice or in New York, not Miami. But who was she kidding, any where that her dad was would always be home to her. Lester had practically raised her after her mom, Penny, took a research fellowship in Africa and then subsequently Thailand, where she was right now. Her parents had divorced somewhere in the middle of everything and Ally really hadn't seen her mother in years. The last time she had really spoken with her was just before she decided to go back to school herself after getting her Masters.

Her dad was just always there. Supporting her, loving her, letting her follow her hearts desire and Ally would never ever forget that. If he had asked her to rob a bank for him, she probably would. There was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for her dad. So in the middle of going on and on about packing and making sure everything she owned could still fit inside the three suitcases she brought, she asked him about his life and the store, and found that he was dating.

Dating. Her dad, Lester Michael Dawson, was dating.

Blinking her eyes and shaking her head, Ally leaned forward and was very interested in finding out all she could about her father's new girlfriend. Name, age, height, weight, if she had any priors...nothing was off topic.

"She's beautiful, honey. You don't have to worry about me. She's teaching me not to be such a cheapskate."

"You?"

"Yes, me. And don't knock me saving money. That money helped you out with Columbia," Lester pointed out.

It was true, it definitely had. She had gotten a few scholarships and grants along the way, but the rest was definitely her dad's doing and she was immensely grateful for it. She wouldn't have been able to apply for this program at all without him.

"But, she's good to you?"

Lester smiled back at her. "Yes, honey, she is. You'll get to meet her when you get home. Speaking of...I may have rearranged your room a little."

"Define a little..."

The hour went on and before she knew it, it was nearing five at night and looking around her room, she needed to clean it. Not that that was on the top of her list, but it still needed to be done. Saying goodbye to her dad and promising to call him again next week, Ally closed down her computer and started on sweeping up all the mess of clothes to launder and cleaning up the dirty plates sitting on the tables and her desk and somehow, inside her open wardrobe.

But just as soon as she started to clean things up, the bell echoed throughout the house. Ally threw the clothes back on the floor and furrowed her brow. No one should be coming around now. The Nicoletti's were gone on their annual Naples trip, and took Rico with them for good measure, Lazzaro was on his annual trip with friends to Pescara, and it was Sunday...wait, it was Sunday. Sunday.

"Crap," Ally muttered, as her eyes went wide and she raced down not just the main staircase, but the visitor's one as well. Out of breath and stumbling over her own feet, she pulled open the door and started apologizing immediately. Her words were fumbled and she was rambling and if he understood anything she actually was saying, she wasn't ever letting him go.

She saw him smirk at her, but it didn't stop her from apologizing even more. "I am so sorry. I'm such an idiot. After seeing you every day this week, I don't know why I forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"The family, they're gone for the week," Ally told him, still beating herself up about not remembering to tell him.

How could she have forgotten? In between him wrapping things up at the conservatory, which meant more free time for him, they were at Santoli's, or she was showing him around the university and he had gotten to see her use her TA powers to shoot down some other student's dreams when they asked for the third extension on a paper in a week. When either of them wasn't handling private matters or sleeping, they were with each other and there had been so many opportunities to tell him...or was there?

As she recalled most of that time spent together was spent stealing kisses and getting wrapped up in his music and...no, there had definitely been time to tell him. _No excuses, Ally._

"I'm so sorry, Austin. I can't believe I didn't tell you."

"Ally," Austin stopped her, and pulled her hand back from her hair. "It's okay."

She bit her lip, still scolding herself inside.

"Stop beating yourself up. It's really okay," he assured her more. "More time to spend with you."

She didn't stop smacking herself internally, but his comment did make her smile. More time to spend with him, and she would take it, seeing as the days were dwindling down into nothing before he had to leave. With his flight all booked and most of his bags all packed, she was dreading the day she would walk with him to the ferry and say goodbye. She wasn't ready for that yet.

In the space of just a handful of weeks, Austin Moon had become such a big part of her life and Ally, although she knew she had a life and job and reality to get back to, didn't want to. She didn't want to go back without him by her side. It was funny to her just how much she wanted him in it. In her romantic past, she was the one who didn't want the long commitment, knowing that it eventually led to separation and hurt and all those feelings that she saw her father go through, she was trying to avoid. But with Austin, suffering all those feelings might just be worth it.

Leading him up to the main level, Ally only now just saw he had his guitar with him as he placed it by the door and took his shoes off. She watched him leave it there as she tried to straighten up some of her mess she left behind from lounging around earlier in the day and doing absolutely nothing but reading and eating. She piled books on top of books and shoved them out of the way, reminding herself to return them all to Benedetto's shelves before they returned and jumped a bit when she felt Austin come up behind her.

Swiftly turning her around, Ally looped her arms around his neck as he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. If the family was here, she could just imagine their looks and hollers at them, and maybe even a big brother talk from Dante with Austin about his intentions. With them out of the house, she could and would definitely be enjoying Austin's kisses without prying eyes or comments. She nipped at his bottom lip as he let her breathe and instantly wanted his lips back on hers.

"I am sorry Austin. I know you were expecting this grand dinner..."

"Hey, I'm not expecting anything than to spend time with you."

"You need to quit being so nice about this. I'm screwing you out of an Italian dinner," she said, taking a seat on the sofa next to him. "I mean, I can make you something, but apart from the coffee, I'm not the best cook in the world."

Austin smirked at her. "What can you cook?"

"Does water count?" _No, Ally, water does not count_, she silently scolded herself.

His hand covered her own. "Lucky for you, I can."

"You can? You can cook?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" he turned towards her. "I'm not just a one trick pony."

Ally pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh at his comment. She definitely knew that. He was more than just Austin Moon, the musician. He was also Austin Moon, the jokester, the amateur photographer, the horror movie lover; Austin Moon, the mattress kingdom's prince, and let's not forget Austin Moon, the lost King of Carnevale. But to Ally, he was Austin Moon, the man she was falling in love with hard and fast. So, so fast.

"Okay, what can you cook?"

"Only the best pancakes in the world. Seriously, they're the best," Austin pulled her up off the sofa with him and headed towards the kitchen. "I'll teach you and then you'll be able to cook something besides water."

"But, wait..." Ally caught up with him. "What if we don't have ingredients for these 'best pancakes in the world'?"

Austin blew her comment off. "Benedetto looks like a pancake eater. I'm sure you do."

She watched him browse the cabinets as soon as they entered, pushing boxes out of the way and pulling down some others. Ally sat back and leaned against the little table inside the sliding doors, looking and quite honestly, enjoying the view as he reached up high and his shirt came up, exposing the skin just above his jeans. Yea, she was definitely enjoying the view.

"How did your meeting with your label go?"

"It was good," Austin turned back for a moment to look at her, before returning to rummage through the Nicoletti's cabinets. "They liked all of the songs I recorded here. I only have a few others to record when I get back to LA."

"Have you picked your lead single yet?"

"Not yet. That's not for a while."

"Can I put my vote in for 'West Side Story'?"

"You sure do like that one," he smiled big at her, and switched his rummaging for ingredients to pulling out a griddle pan from the bottom cabinet. "I bet you have it memorized."

"I can't help it. It's so good," she emphasized. "If it's not your first single, I might not be a fan anymore."

Ally heard him chuckle at her, and roll up the sleeves on his chambray shirt as he turned towards her. "Oil, or non sticky spray?"

"Oh, um," Ally got up and opened the spice slider that hid between fridge and the rest of the butchered block counter tops. Her eyes searched up and down before she picked it out and just as she was going to grab it, he did instead.

"Okay, ready to learn?"

"Ready to learn," she nodded, and let him lead her around the kitchen. They mixed, they stirred, they shook, they added in Austin's secret ingredient to which he made her swore not to tell anyone about, and they poured it onto the waiting griddle, listening to it sizzle to make the perfect pancake.

Austin put her in between him and the stove, his hand guiding hers in making their brinner - apparently that was slang for breakfast for dinner, according to him. He liked brinner and was determined to make her like it just as much. Ally leaned back into him as he nuzzled his nose against her temple and together they flipped over the flapjacks that were smelling like the best things in the world. This was something she never would have done with any one else; especially not with Evan, the high school boyfriend, or with Carlos, the R.A.

This was something you did with a true boyfriend, the kind that you could see a future with, the kind you wanted to introduce to your parents, no matter how horrible they might be...they flipped the pancakes once again and poured more mixture onto the pan to make even more.

"How many of these can you actually eat?"

"Austin Moon 101: Pancakes are my favorite thing in the world to eat," he told her. "Dez, my crazy ass friend I told you about, once made an _Uncle Buck_ sized pancake for me; complete with a giant sized butter chuck and syrup all over like it was a fountain. It was my best birthday ever."

All Ally could do was laugh, imagining the scene in her mind. "I'll make a note. I've always liked pancakes, but I love French toast."

"Are you serious? Pancakes kick French toast's butt."

"Um, I don't think so," she turned around in her little cage of him and the stove. "How can you say no to a bit of cinnamon, vanilla, and banana toppling over a yummy, gooey, buttermilk toast? My mouth is watering just talking about it."

"Betcha my pancakes will make your mouth water too," he poked his tongue out at her for fun. "And will make you reevaluate your breakfast choices from this day on."

She shook her head and curved her lips upward. "We shall see..."

* * *

He couldn't have imagined a better Sunday if he tried. His day had started off like normal. He woke up, scarfed down a bit of burnt toast because he wasn't paying attention to the appliance, headed to the conservatory for a while to write more on what was possibly the last song he would make in Venice for his album, and then headed over to the Nicoletti's, all while dreaming up a great Italian feast that he had gotten used to and was looking forward to.

However, instead of being greeted with the great Italian feast, he was in the middle of an empty home, with a gorgeous girl and showing her how to make his famous pancakes. He had prepared himself for more loud conversations but welcomed this quiet little dinner for two even more. It was nice, almost like they were a real couple; which he actually wanted to be with her.

After arguing with her on the awesomeness of pancakes versus every other breakfast food, which he was still trying to knock French toast off the top of her list, they were back in the living room and she had taken over his guitar. He had assumed that she didn't know how to play and was teaching her how, but somewhere in the middle, she was teaching him that she knew much more than she was letting on. Her fingers flew over the strings like his did over the piano and Austin was starting to think there really wasn't anything she could not do.

She sang, she was a living map of Venice, she wrote her first song when she was five, she conquered Columbia University in three years, not the usual four, she spoke perfect Italian, she could handle living with a very large family, she was from Miami (which wasn't really the point he was trying to make, it was just a cool coincidence)...she couldn't dance though. But that was something he would gladly teach her over and over again.

"Do that again," he told her, the chords she was playing speaking to him. It was a soft chord that stood out and had the making of a killer melody. Austin bobbed his head up and down, watching her hands again before looking up at her eyes. The notes she was playing were really speaking to him now and lyrics were popping up in his mind to go along with it. "Da, da da dum...da da dum, da da dum."

"Nice lyrics there. Mine go like this," Ally played the notes once again from the beginning and started to sing. "Okay, maybe I'm shy, but usually I speak my mind. But by your side, I'm tongue tied."

Austin closed his eyes and waved his hands in front of his face between them. "Wait, wait, wait. You wrote another song? When was this?"

Ally stopped her playing. "Remember that part about me auditioning for MUNY? We had to do an original song. This was one of them I wrote."

"How many did you write?"

"Just a few," she shrugged her shoulders, slipping the guitar back to the case she had pulled it from. "Wait right here."

As soon as he nodded at her, he watched Ally race up the stairs in the corner. He wasn't sure what she was after, but he did hear her door opening and a tearing of something hard, and was that just an entire library hitting the floor? In moments, her brown hair was bouncing behind her and she was back on the couch next to him with a ratty old notebook. When he said old, he meant ancient. The corners were torn, the giant "A" that was written on the cover had faded to a light, barely visible gray color, and the ties that held it close were fraying. Austin watched as she pulled it to her chest and held it protectively like it was solid gold.

"Okay, I've never really shown this to anyone before. My mom gave me this notebook before she left for her first expedition and told me to write everything in here so when she came back, she could read it and know all that went on while she was gone. She came back, but she didn't read it," her voice fell a bit, but she turned it right around. "Ever since, I've just been writing lyrics, feelings, everything in here. It's where my music lives."

Austin watched as she took a breath and let the book fall just a little bit from her chest. This was something important to her, something that she held her entire childhood inside and she was going to share this with him.

"Just keep in mind I was still a teenager and while I still have a lot of the same ideals, it was a long time ago. I've matured and...well, you'll see," Ally started to unravel it, opening it up to the middle of the book versus the first page and he reached to her, to hold it open before she stopped him. "Don't touch my book."

"Seriously?" Austin kept his laugh inside. "You're sharing this with me, but won't let me touch it?"

Ally shook her head. "But, play your cards right, and I might change my mind."

Austin pulled her body closer towards him on the couch. Even if he couldn't touch the book at the moment, he could definitely touch her. His chin on her shoulder, she went from page to page and read out lyrics and her inner thoughts from when she was just sixteen. They were cute, he decided, and as they read on, got more intense, had much more feeling and when she flipped to the end of the book, where she explained she just wrote a new piece the other day, he was fully infatuated with her.

"There's no gravity when you're next to me. You always break my fall like a parachute. When you're holding me so weightless, I can barely breathe. You always break my fall, my fall...like a parachute," Austin read the words aloud, each line becoming much more real as he said them. Looking back up at her, he had skipped over to the next verses. "I know this life isn't gonna be perfect. The ups and downs are gonna be worth it. As long as I'm with you."

He didn't want to sound like a total girl here, but his heart was really beating hard against his chest. The lyrics, these lyrics...there really was nothing she couldn't do and the words she had written had him in knots. His hand slipped over her silky skin and he made her look over at him. He watched her eyes flutter close as he kissed them faintly and trailed down to her nose. Cupping her cheek, Austin pulled her even closer and kissed her again. He was used to his lyrics turning his fans on, but had never experienced it himself...and Ally's did just that. These were lyrics that he only wished he wrote.

Ally shifted in his arms and Austin took it upon himself to touch the book she told him not to and place it on top of his guitar. He could taste the syrup from their brinner on her lips as his tongue danced around hers. He playfully bit at it and felt her smile against him. He brushed back her hair back from her face and her arms moved up his arms, looping around the back of his neck. Their kiss had turned into something hot and passionate fast and he had no intention of stopping it at all.

He tried to pull her even closer, but stopped and tugged on her cardigan instead. It wasn't a normal cardigan like you would imagine, it was oversized, and something you could see every middle aged librarian wearing day to day. Somehow, Ally made it work for her, but he still wanted it off of her. Austin let his fingers unfasten each button and started to push the garment off of her body. The whole studious look on her worked, but right now all he wanted was to feel her skin against his.

Tossing the jumper towards his guitar, he assumed, Austin was back to pulling her close and feeling her bare arms up and down and smiling into her mouth as her hands rippled down his neck and took hold of his tag necklace. If he could get any closer to her, he would.

He would.

Would she?

Pulling back from her tantalizing lips Austin nibbled on her own, catching his breath just like she was. "Yea, I'm definitely keeping you around."

Ally smiled into his mouth and kissed him softly before untangling herself from him and getting up from the sofa. Leaning back, Austin watched as she bent over to pick up her journal and pull it to her chest again. He slowly let her hand fall out of his grip and let himself check her out as she ran her hands through her hair, pulling it back from her face. He was raised to be a gentleman, through and through, but at this particular moment, all he could think about was how smooth her skin would be next to his and where she was ticklish and if she tasted just as sweet underneath all her clothes.

It was funny to him. He hadn't come to Venice to fall in love, or even fall in like...but that was what was happening right now. Austin was falling in love with Ally. He was healthy, took his vitamins every day and was at no risk for a heart attack at his young age...so there was no other reason for the way his heart beat out of his chest every time he thought of her, or every time she just looked at him. When he went to a cafe, he always looked for blueberry tarts now, just in case there was one and he would pick one up for her even in he wasn't going to see her that day. Every time he looked at something - a building, a bridge, a square, he just wasn't looking at old architecture, he was wondering the story behind it and wanting her to tell him about it.

He was in love with her. Austin Moon was in love.

Getting up from the sofa, he didn't hesitate one bit and kind of loved when she jumped at his touch to her waist and turned her around in one movement. Backing her up step by step to the hard wall, he leaned down and captured her lips once again. He had no clue where she was actually heading, he just knew that he didn't want to be without her by his side tonight. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders again, with the book safely in one of her hands. "Ally..."

She stopped him from talking any more, her fingers shutting his mouth shut before she slid her hand down into his and pulled him with her. Up the stairs. There were sixteen steps from the floor they were on to the next level and ten more after that to the room she had called her own for the past six months. Looking around for a moment, Austin noted the suitcases on top of a dresser and a few boxes all packaged up to ship. It almost looked as packed up as his own place was; of course, he had only brought two suitcases with him to take back. His thoughts about leaving were silenced in an instant as Ally came back into his arms, without her book and kissed him again.

She ran her fingers through his hair, her tongue sliding across his bottom lip and dancing around his own tongue before her lips kissed down to his chin over to his cheek and to his neck; and if it was one thing that drove him crazy, it was a sexy-as-hell-woman kissing his neck.

Austin pulled on her arms, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his waist with ease before walking her over to the bed and laying her down on it. Her legs were still wrapped around his middle and it was his turn to kiss and tease her with his lips on her neck. His hands started to roll up the hem of her plain blue shirt, his thumb tracing over her skin towards her belly button. Ally's legs dropped from his waist as he moved down her body, and he smiled seeing what his cool breath did to her skin just above her jeans.

He fiddled with the button and stopped himself from going any further. He wasn't going to take anything she didn't want him to take or do anything she didn't want him to do. It was the same issue weeks ago before the first Carnevale ball. He had to be sure that she wanted this as much as he did.

"Ally," he crawled back up and hovered over her, staring back into her rich coffee colored eyes. "I want you."

Her hand cupped his cheek while the other slid down his side. "I want you too."

"And I don't want to do anything if you don't. This, you..." Austin took a breath, leaning down to her and kissing her lips. She leaned into him, arching her back just so and their kiss suddenly became something of legend. He felt her roll up his own shirt and her fingers float across his torso.

"Austin," Ally finally came up for a breath and looked back into his own gaze. "Stop talking and make love to me."

And he did as he was told. For hours.

* * *

"But I hate it, don't call me that."

"But it's beautiful. Aletta. Why do you hate your real name?"

"It's old and no one can ever pronounce it right," she shrugged her shoulders as she sat on the kitchen counter in the early morning hours.

"I did, right?" He smiled when she nodded her head.

Their night had lasted and lasted and lasted...and if she could relive it, which she had every intent on doing, she would. Austin Moon was not only a talented musician, but he was amazing in bed. So amazing that she was sure he was the one joking about her handcuffing him to her bed and never letting him go. Ally had to admit, it sounded like a good plan. With only a few days left until he left, it sounded like a damn good plan.

She had originally come down for a midnight snack, only to realize she left most of the downstairs lights on and had to scramble to turn them all off, all while wearing his shirt that he wanted back. Austin had followed her downstairs and in between him feeling up her legs and kissing up her neck and almost taking her on the stairwell, they had managed to turn them all off. Picking up one of the crackers he had found in the upper cabinets that she had figured out Benedetto was hiding from Silvana and putting it in her mouth, Ally looked up to find Austin standing right in front of her and tucking back her hair behind her ear.

"I think your name is beautiful."

She blushed. She never blushed.

"Austin," her shoulder slumped down a bit. "What's going to happen?"

"You mean with us?"

She nodded. She wanted to know. She had to know; because now that she had had him...all of him, there was no way she was letting him go. This wasn't some fling to her; some random fling that she would through to the side and dive head first back into her studies. This was Austin and he was more. He was so much more to her than any of the others ever would have been. She didn't want to say she loved him and scare him off, because Lord knows, she'd done enough of that, and she didn't know if it was love, but it was definitely more than like.

It was something in between, where you couldn't stop thinking about the person and where everything in the world disappears when you're with them, but yet it still wasn't full blown love where you wanted to shout it from every rooftop you saw. Ally knew she wanted something with Austin, but with both of their futures up in the air right now, she didn't know where they stood.

Maybe tonight wasn't the night to talk about it all. Maybe tonight was just for being with each other and soaking up all the time they had left. Maybe tonight was for her to fall even harder for him, for her to explore and taste him, and make love to him like he did to her.

Austin cupped her chin and kissed her lips lightly. "I have no clue," he said honestly. "But I know I don't want to ever be without you."


	15. Chapter 15

Morning came entirely too soon. Pulling the soft blanket up and over her head, Ally rolled over and into Austin's side. Austin. Blinking open her eyes, Ally glanced up at the man beside her and let her mouth curve ever so slightly as she realized he was still here. Still by her side and still sleeping. He was kind of adorable when he was sleeping. His hair was all over the place - some sticking straight up, some over his closed eyes and there were even strands he had in his mouth. Ally didn't know how it got that way, but she was taking a mental picture to remember it.

Twisting around in the covers, she peaked over the blankets she was using to keep warm and saw the streams of sunlight shining into the room. The ones she wanted to reverse and make go away so she could relive last night again. It had been more than amazing and more than wonderful. After their first time together, and the second time, and grabbing their little midnight snack in between, there was a third and a fourth and if she had known Austin was this great in bed before, maybe she would've sped up their little love story. Scratch that, she knew she would have.

Reaching for the red robe that lied over the desk chair, Ally wrapped it over her bare body and slid her feet into the slippers she found underneath her bed after getting up from the comfortable mattress and even more comfortable arms of Austin. Trying to be as quiet as a mouse, Ally tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs. Although the temptation of staying all day in bed with him was there, her stomach was also doing a bit of talking and she didn't want to wake him with it's massive growling that she knew would.

Heating up a quick bowl of oatmeal, Ally pulled out some berries from the fridge and threw them in before grabbing a spoon and heading back up the stairs. Munching on the spoonful of yumminess in her mouth, she stopped just short of her room where she heard him talking on the phone.

"I can get there later on. Just book the studio for then and we can record the last songs."

The last songs. Taking a deep breath, Ally shoved all the bad thoughts to the back of her brain. She knew he was leaving soon. She was leaving soon...and now the worry was starting to set in her whole body more. She didn't want to deal with what would happen after right now. All she wanted to do right now was go back in her room, eat her oatmeal and spend all day in bed with him; and that's just what she did.

Austin was still on the phone when she entered and sitting up against the headboard, giving her the perfect view of his very defined chest that she couldn't stop touching last night. It was so defined that she was seriously wondering if there was a Demigod gene in him somewhere. Either that or he had a sick workout routine...in which, she would have to steal it, because just running like a mad woman throughout Venice wasn't really giving her anything but really good legs.

Heading back towards the bed, Austin's face changed from working out a schedule in his mind to a big smile at her. "Hi," he mouthed towards her as she took a seat on the edge of the bed, which he decided was was way too far away and pulled her closer as he cradled the phone in the crook of his neck. "I'll meet you there at six."

He was off the phone in two seconds, letting it slip on the table beside him just as she took another bite of her oatmeal. Scooping another bite, complete with a few berries in it, Ally offered it up to Austin. She wasn't sure if he was a sharing meals or the same utensils type of guy, but she was about to find out - and good news, he was. He held onto the spoon in his mouth, his eyes not moving from her own and slowly slid it out.

Wiping away the drip on his chin, she swallowed from the sudden rush of being very turned on by just that. "Were you trying the straw trick on me?"

Austin smirked up at her. "Did it work?"

Not even answering the question, Ally placed the bowl on the table beside his phone and leaned in to kiss him. That was as good as an answer as he would get and apparently, it was all he needed. He pulled her closer, and flipped her around so she was lying on her back again with her robe becoming loose in the process. Austin pressed his lips to her neck, making her moan in pleasure as his fingers fumbled with the knot she had tied earlier.

Her hands trickled up his side from his torso to his arms and within minutes, her breathing was getting heavier. "What," she said in a husky voice she wasn't expecting to come out of her. She stopped her sentence as his fingers, his magic fingers danced their way to her breasts. "What did you want to do today?"

"I was thinking," he looked up at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We could continue that tour."

Ally smiled right back at him, knowing full and well what he meant by tour; and she was thinking that was the best plan. "And just what would you like to see?"

Austin kissed down her neck, his tongue causing tingles all over her body, just like he did last night. Ally saw him bite his lip before tickling her with the tip of his tongue around her belly button. Screw waiting for anything, she wanted it all now. Leaning back up, she took control as he leaned back on his own knees. Pulling a condom out of the side table, Ally turned back and crawled over him.

"Looks like you know exactly what I want to see," Austin wiggled his eyebrows at her right when she ripped the package open, silencing him with her kiss. Even if this wasn't the actual tour he wanted, it didn't seem like he was objecting to it. And neither was she.

* * *

"When do Silvana and Benedetto get back?"

It was well past noon when they finally emerged from her room and after she cleaned up and put on something presentable had joined Austin downstairs where they were transformed back into two teenagers in high school and couldn't keep their hands off each other. Now in the kitchen, looking for something other than pancakes to eat, Ally pulled down some bread, cheese and tomatoes. It wasn't the best lunch, but it was lunch. With the condiments in her hand, she quickly sliced the tomatoes while Austin watched her from the tiny table inside the kitchen. "Wednesday, I think. Why?"

"Then pack a little bag," he told her, stealing a piece of cheese before she swatted at him. "You'll be staying with me."

"What?"

"If I had known earlier that you were on your own, you'd been with me all week."

Smiling into her cup filled with water, Ally tired to hide her laugh but it wasn't working. "You know I've stayed here on my own before, right? And nothing happened and no one tried to break in..." Austin nodded before Ally got to her point. "Then why are you making me pack a bag to stay with you? This piazza isn't exactly a packed with criminals."

Swiping another piece of cheese from the plate, Austin leaned towards her. "I know it's not. I just..."

Ally laughed again. She knew what was happening. He was becoming an overprotective boyfriend in three minutes flat. Boyfriend? Was that even the right word? She couldn't tell you that, but Ally could tell you that she kind of liked him getting all protective over this. Sure, she had Lazarro, Dante and Rico here to be the typical big brothers and Benedetto to scare away everyone that came even within fifty feet of her. But this was Austin, and Austin being overprotective was actually sort of sweet.

Wiping away the juice of the tomatoes from her tomato mozzarella she had made, Ally grabbed his hand. "You know what you just sounded like, right?"

"Like the most charming, but obnoxious boyfriend who, at first just wanted to spend every waking moment with his girlfriend, but now actually really wants to make she she's safe..."Austin rambled on and she watched him soak in his own words. "I'll take that label. Please stay with me though," he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "I really do want to spend every waking minute with you before I leave."

If there was ever a chance she was going to say no to him, that was tossed out the moment he said the word 'boyfriend', and 'stay', and the hell with it. The moment he told her to pack a bag, she knew she was going to. He was still looking at her with those pleading, russet eyes - the same exact eyes that were full of fire and lust the night before. There wasn't really a downside in staying with him for a few days. The museum was already shut down for the week and the family wasn't returning for a few more days.

"Please," he asked once again, this time bringing her hand to his mouth to kiss it. "I promise it will be fun."

Ally didn't even try to hide the smile that was curling up on her face. "I've no doubt of that. Three conditions though."

"Name them."

"First, I get you to try my French Toast."

"Even though they still won't be better than my pancakes, alright."

"Second, you bring me Santoli's every morning."

"Why wouldn't I do that anyhow?"

"And third, I get the right side of the bed."

"Good thing I sleep on the left. This is a yes, then?"

Ally nodded her head. As soon as they were done eating, she was making him help her with cleaning up the place a bit before packing a little bag to take. Not a lot, just the essentials...like her pajamas (which she hoped he didn't think were too cutesy), and a toothbrush. That was all she would need, and if not, it was a good thing his place wasn't far from the Nicoletti's.

Now, with the bag safely on her shoulder, Ally squeezed his hand back as they walked into their cafe and were greeted with Guisto pulling Suzetta into a spontaneous dance while they were cleaning some tables. The record playing was soft and perfect for the elderly couple. "Take a picture," she whispered to Austin after nudging him in the side. Ally watched him slip out his camera quietly as not to disturb the scene in front of him. It was a sweet scene and although she was sure Guisto saw them both out of the corner of his eye, kept on dancing with Suzetta like no one else was actually there.

As their dance died away, Ally found herself wanting to actually see more. She knew about how Silvana met and married Benedetto, but Suzetta and Guisto's story was still a mystery to her, even after going through their things late last year for a project at the university. Ally knew Guisto was in the Italian Army, and their son had followed in his footsteps, but that's as far as it went. Maybe one day, they'd tell her; and she couldn't wait for that day.

Suzetta had stocked them up with coffees and sweets to go and in the middle of Campo San Barnaba, Ally was kissing Austin before they parted ways. He still had a recording session to get to at the conservatory and she had an appointment at the university. He had told her to meet him outside his apartment later in the night about three kisses ago and it was just now hitting her that she was kissing a pop star in the middle of the square and no one but her was freaking out. Of course, she was freaking out in the inside.

It was dawning on her as she walked over to the university just how lucky she had gotten. Things could've been much different if Gianna hadn't intervened after the first ball they went to. He could've stayed away, she would've been forced to take Marco and she would've possibly never seen Austin again. She never thought she would say it, but thank God for Gianna and her nosiness and willingness to kick them both in their behinds. While she heard her talk about how Austin felt bad after she spoke to him at his last fitting, Gianna had put her in her own place, telling her to woman up and tell him how she felt too.

She had gotten extremely lucky and now they were together...but her mind wouldn't let her push away all the thoughts she had about what would happen after he left. They still had five days left. Five days to soak up all the time they could together and she would definitely be filling the role of the clingy girlfriend for all of those days. But first, she had to call her dad again and get that recipe for her grandmother's French Toast.

* * *

Austin Moon was eight months old when he had his first pancake. It was the first time he experienced true love. He couldn't remember what it tasted like at that young age, but he did remember tasting it again at two, and that's where his love affair with the breakfast food began. From that point on, if there weren't a fresh stack of pancakes in front of him every morning, his mother was dealing with a very testy two-year-old and that same testy two-year-old made sure the entire neighborhood heard his cries before she caved in and made him the pancakes. He didn't know at that time that his love for them would backfire and she would be using them against him to get his homework done or do a chore in order to get the food he craved.

He was 25 now; and yes, while he still expected a fresh stack of pancakes from his mother every time he returned home (it was a thing), he didn't give her a hissy fit that would make her want to smack him. But that didn't mean he fell out of love with the food, or had found another breakfast food to replace them. It just meant that he was 25 and he was old enough to know that the same food every day for the rest of your life wasn't exactly the best thing to do to your body.

But even at 25, he could still remember the way the pancake first felt on his tongue. It was fluffy and rich and the moment his mother spread the butter over the cake and topped it with the warmest maple syrup was something he would never ever forget. Just like now, he will probably never forget how adorable Ally looked in his kitchen as she made her grandmother's famous French Toast she had gone on and on about and tried to convince him that they were superior to his pancakes. She wouldn't let him inside the boxy area of the small kitchen and he'd never been swatted away so many times from the ingredients in his life, but he was loving this.

"What is that? Cinnamon? What if I'm allergic to cinnamon?"

"You're not," she stated matter of factly, like she had known him for years and would know this bit of information. "You're just trying to get out of tasting this heavenly food and trying to get out of saying that I was right, and you were wrong."

"I'm not wrong."

"Yes, you are," she sing-songed back to him, turning back around to the skillet on the stove.

Austin had only finished recording an hour ago and as soon as Santo let him go, he was out the door and racing back to his place to meet her there. In his mind, she had been sitting outside his place waiting on him for hours, but that was hardly the case. In fact, he could've taken his time seeing as she only got to his place about twenty minutes ago. She had bags in her hands from the market and found him humming along to a bonus track he was planning on recording once he got back to Los Angeles and trying to clean up the apartment. There was hardly anything left to clean though. The bookshelves in the living room were all nice and straight. The notebooks full of notes and observations he had written down were all in a neat little pile, waiting to be stuffed into his carryon so he could go back through them on the flight home. His suitcases were stacked by the door in the bedroom. His belongings were ready to go...he just wasn't yet.

Getting up from the stool around the bar, it was Austin's turn to tiptoe up behind her and try to be as quiet as he could. He peaked over her small stature, watching as she dipped the bread in a mixture to put in the skillet. He could smell the sweetness of the brinner she was making him and he was itching to taste it right then and there. Austin could also smell the cinnamon in the mixture so he knew that that was not the 'secret ingredient' that she had told him was in it. He was determined to know what it was though. Pancakes were his favorite and although he was predicting that they would still be his favorite after tonight, Austin would admit that her French Toast definitely smelt good. Really good.

"Austin, I can feel you watching me."

He smiled and placed a hand on the lower side of her hip, making her jump a bit at his touch. He leaned forward, nuzzling his mouth against her ear. "Wasn't it just last night that you told me you couldn't cook anything besides water?"

"Um," he could tell she was biting her lip. "Maybe..."

"You totally lured me into teaching you how to cook, didn't you?" She turned around in his frame and placed her hands on his arms, pushing him back from the stove. "You totally seduced me."

Ally leaned up and kissed him softly. "I didn't hear you complaining," she said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. "In fact, I heard a lot more enjoyment and don't get me started on the squeals you were making. I used to think I was loud in bed." She kissed him again, and again as he held her tighter before letting his hand feel down her jean covered leg.

His hand cupped her cheek, squeezing it and he felt down her leg, secretly wishing she was in a skirt instead. Last night, and this morning, he couldn't get enough of just how smooth her skin was all over her body and he found himself wanting to feel it all again...that was until she broke their kiss and left him hanging with a dumbfounded look on his face and wanting a hell of a lot more.

"Sorry," she smiled back at him. "Don't want these to burn." Ally finished up making the stack of yummy smelling toasts, piling them on top of the others on the plates beside the stove. She quickly turned off the burners and brought the plates to the bar.

Moments later, Austin sat next to Ally as she topped his French Toast with sweet berries, another spoonful of cinnamon and honey. He had never been that big of a fan of honey, but when he put the food in his mouth, it was like he was falling in love with pancakes all over again. It wasn't just good, it was delicious, enticing, delightful, scrumptious and savory and made him grab the knife out of her hand and proceed to cut up the rest of it to shove in his mouth in one big bite. He had set out to be unimpressed by her recipe, making her believe that pancakes were still number one on his list of 'Austin Approved Foods'; but he was failing miserably.

Ally sat and watched him from her seat, and he could see the smirk curling on her lips. "And to think that these aren't pancakes."

Austin poked his tongue out at her, swallowing the bite he had just taken. "They're still not pushing pancakes off the top spot."

"What? Austin, you just shoved three toasts in your mouth whole."

"But," he stopped her and held out his finger. "We put whipped cream and chocolate and syrup on them and they might."

Ally slumped her shoulders. "This is going to be a never ending battle, isn't it?"

"Probably," he smiled over at her and dragged her stool closer. "But I don't mind."


	16. Chapter 16

Three days. He officially had three days left and he was dreading it. If you had asked him three weeks before now if he was anxious or excited to head back to the States, he would've told you an astounding yes. He missed the normal television (he had watched SNL religiously since he was 15), he missed the sweet and yummy, but very bad for you candies (he was a sucker for Sour Patch Kids and Nerds), and he definitely missed the flaming hot, spicy and mouth watering chips you could only find in vending machines at rest stops. He and Dez had stumbled upon them one weekend while on their way back from summer camp in the middle of Florida. At the time, finding those was the best moment of his life.

Now, things were different and his answer had changed. Austin had never really been that guy who was clingy or had to be around his girlfriend all the time. His relationship with Jamie was actually the opposite and they could have been apart for days and would be okay with that. Now, with Ally, it was new and fun and exciting and he found himself wanting to be around all the time. He couldn't go an entire day without talking to her or seeing her or touching her. Ask him the same question right now if he wanted to stay in Venice longer. Do it, really. He'd tell you yes.

It was what he was telling Santo at this very moment as he sat across from his friend and tried to find any loopholes for him to stay for another week with Ally instead of heading straight to Los Angeles and back into the studio there. As much as he tried to find one though, he didn't. His arrangement with his record company was for three full months and when he tried to see if he could extend it by just a few days, they told him a resounding no. He couldn't blame them, they were taking a big chance on him and he was grateful that they were giving him all this time in the first place. Plus, Santo was off to Austria right after he left too. He had a few concerts he was playing there.

"It's not like you'll never come back here, Austin," Santo reasoned with him, sipping on his wine. "She is just a girl."

Austin shook his head at his longtime friend. "Not just a girl, Santo."

"Wow," Santo leaned forward into the table they were seated at a table in the corner at a little restaurant on the mainland. Santo had had an appointment with a student who lived there and Austin needed to spend every moment today with him to finish up all the Italian translations for the final songs on his album. He could've asked Ally, but he was too busy absorbing all of her to even bother.

Austin raised his eyebrow. "Wow what?"

"Wow, you fell fast. I never thought you were the one to fall in love to quick and so hard."

He choked back the drink he had just taken. "Woah, didn't say I was in love with her."

"Didn't have to," Santo smiled. "I'm glad things are going well with you two. Kind of smacking myself for interrupting you that one day. Just think of what would've happened."

Brushing away all the emotions and hundreds of other thoughts that were rushing to his brain, Austin turned it back to the music. He would deal with the love issue later...when he was back in the city and back with her; when he could really be sure if he was. The music was what brought him to Venice in the first place and because Santo said it was there or nothing and it didn't take long before Austin was on the plane just moments before the New Year started on a flight to the Floating City.

Now it was the end of his fellowship and they had completed around fifteen songs for his album and a few others for some other artists on his label. Three of the songs mixed Italian with English and were some of his favorites they had written. While Ally was hoping that "West Side Story" was his first single, he was secretly rooting for "Promise Broken". The song had come to him after he had first run into Ally without knowing it and once he had all the lyrics written down, ran back to the conservatory where the song was done in an hour time.

After Santo heard it, suggested looping Italian into it and once they did, it just all clicked. It was one of his favorite songs on the album and he couldn't wait for his fans to hear it. He definitely couldn't wait for his parents to hear it, or Dez, and definitely Ally. Maybe after she heard that song, or the secret one that was on the tail end of "Iris", would be her new favorite.

"Have you heard about the rights yet?"

Santo shook his head. "Nothing yet. I passed all the information you'll need for that to Adam. He's going to be point on this and you should hear back by the end of April. Still going to record it in Italian?"

"Why would I not? It loses all it's meaning in English."

Santo smiled at him. "It kind of does. You know, none of your fans will even know who you are anymore with this song. No one has covered this song in a long long time."

"It's Achille Togliani. I have to cover it."

They two friends talked about the rights for the songs they were trying to get for a bit longer, while eating a delicious meal before the two headed back to the city. Santo was off on another lesson (music was actually his entire life) and Austin was headed to Santoli's, to pick up some coffee before picking Ally up at the university. The Nicoletti's had come back the day before, but somehow, Ally was still staying with him and he wasn't minding one bit. He loved every bit of having her stay with him before he left. He loved waking up with her in his arms in the morning, he loved her making him pancakes and he loved coming home and seeing her dance all over the place with the music on...or at least try to.

They had only been "living together" for a few days, but he liked it. He liked it a lot and he wasn't sure he was actually going to. Living with Dez when they first moved to Los Angeles was something out of a Zaliens movie so he wasn't actually sure how living with a girl would be. Again, it was only three days, but he wouldn't mind trying it for longer.

He was halfway to Santoli's when he said goodbye to Santo. His friend was off to Austria tomorrow and with a bro-hug and hearty handshake, Austin watched him pick up his step back to the conservatory. Austin spun on his own heel and made a mental note to pen a major thank you to Santo in his album notes. If it hadn't been for him offering or even suggesting he come to Venice for this record, Austin probably would've been stuck in Los Angeles trying to figure how he would be pulling this off. Santo was a good friend, one of the best.

Austin had a great support system in the States. His manager, his publicist and the people at the record label were a huge part of his success and he would be grateful for them every day...even if arguing with James, his manager, was a daily thing. Still, without them he would still just be a guy in Miami who was trying to get a billion hits on his first and only video. Austin would be citing Santo as a part of his team for a long time after this.

Stepping inside the warm cafe, he took a whiff of the pastries Suzetta was baking in the kitchen. There was a cherry and a strawberry, he could tell right off the bat and was still sniffing around and hoping she made a few blueberry ones that he could take back to Ally. Apparently, this is what love was. Love was not hoarding all the cherry tarts and making her eat them. It was letting the other customers have them in lieu of the blueberry ones, which were not his favorite, for her. Even if that wasn't the definition of love, he was still going to count it as a major boyfriend thing to do.

He hadn't been a boyfriend in a very long time and navigating that, plus deciding what to do about their relationship all while handling a music career was now starting to really worry him. Santo had brought it up during lunch and Austin hadn't known how to answer him at all. He was speechless about it really, and as he thought and thought about it in the back of his mind, the more he realized he really did not know what do to. Austin wanted to be with Ally more and more; and he was going a bit mad about how to work everything out.

Austin had figured out that her new job would be in New York City. The Big Apple. The City that Never, Ever, Ever Slept.

He lived, and worked in Los Angeles. 2,448 miles away from her. 2,448 miles away from her arms, her new career and her new life. It was 2,448 miles too many.

"Sembri distratto, signor Moon," Suzetta's voice broke him out of his stare he'd been in over the pastries. He only nodded in agreement. He was distracted...and he could blame the kind, little, older lady in front of him. She was the one who first introduced him to Ally in the beginning, after all...kind of.

Austin watched Suzetta turn her back for just a moment before sliding over a cherry tart that had his name all over it. "Grazie."

"Uno di mirtillo per Ally, sì?" Austin nodded once more, silently hoping she would slip an extra in just because it was Ally and she knew Ally would inhale the first one like a vacuum.

"Si, e po 'di quel caffè celeste."

Suzetta nodded once more, filling up two cups to go just for him. He watched her do her thing, his mind now on just how much he'd miss this - miss her and this little cafe. The same little lady who was filling him up with sweets and all she could make when he first arrived; like he was her guinea pig. It was a job he would quite possibly give up music for. All her tarts, muffins, anything that came out of her oven, he would always be a sucker for. Ally on the other hand...well, a part from a few sandwiches and her French Toast, he wouldn't say that she was the best cook on the planet. But, she was possibly the cutest.

"Quando parti?"

Austin looked up at Suzetta once again, digging out lire from his pockets to pay her with. "Presto. Nel giro di pochi giorni in realtà," he paused. "Io non voglio lasciare."

"Non vogliamo che tu vada neanche. Guisto e ho apprezzato averti intorno. Ally è troppo."

"Ho intenzione di perdere anche voi," Austin smiled at her, truly meaning what he said. He would miss both her and Guisto. Lord knows who he would be now if he hadn't. Austin was always a true believer about the people you surrounded yourself with being an influence in your life and without this couple, Austin couldn't even imagine.

"Ti manca Ally più di tutti," she pointed out. Austin blushed at her words which were very, very true. If it was anyone who he was going to miss the most, it was definitely Ally.

"Qual è il più lungo tempo sei stato lontano da Guisto?"

Suzetta came around the corner and pulled Austin with her to sit for a while. "La più lunga? Quasi dieci anni. Era nell'esercito italiano e appena prima di andarsene, mi ha chiesto di aspettarlo. Quando tornò, era più vecchio e stanco. Non voleva fare altro che sposarsi e mangiare," she paused, thinking of what came next in her own love story. "Mi è mancato tanto."

"Quando tornò era proprio come ai vecchi tempi?" He hoped it was. In his mind, Suzetta and Guisto's love story was the one he had made up in his mind with another older couple he spotted in Venice. The ones that were childhood friends who had been separated by family and fought like hell to get back to one another, sacrificing everything in between them to be together. It had Austin thinking that maybe his and Ally's love story would be like that...maybe.

They were still only 25...things could change in the future but right now, with the way his heart sped up, the way his smile just wouldn't go away and his palms got all sweaty every time he was within ten feet of her, this feeling wasn't changing. This feeling of love, he assumed. Yea, it was love. It came fast and suddenly for him, and he hadn't expected it at all, but it was a good feeling. One that he kind of couldn't wait to tell Dez about, or even his parents.

"No," Suzetta shook her head. "Dovevamo cominciare dall'inizio. Tutto era nuovo nuovo e abbiamo dovuto imparare di nuovo tutto l'uno dell'altro. La guerra cambia le persone, il tempo cambia le persone. Ma ne valeva la pena. Ogni bit di esso."

_It was worth it._ Austin smiled warmly at her. That's all he wanted to hear. If he went to Ally right now and even suggested they do a long distance relationship, Austin knew it would be worth it, but would she agree? Would she be on the same wavelength that he is right now? With her new job starting soon and that being a main priority for her, would she even have time for a relationship with him? Would he with her? It was no secret that his career would be turning a new leaf with a different sound, a different marketing campaign and a different promo routine...he knew his schedule was about to flipped around and torn apart and put back together like a 3-D puzzle. But if Suzetta and Guisto could do it, they could do it.

"Non c'è mai stato nessun altro per voi?"

Suzetta shook her head. "No mai," she answered quickly. It was always Guisto for her.

Austin thought about her words as he walked back to his place, hoping that Ally was already inside. Suzetta had told him more about how she met Guisto, how he proposed the first and second time and while he was sure if his brother was next to him he would've smacked him for asking all the gooey questions about love, Austin was grateful that he did. He found out their entire love story and would definitely be sharing it with Ally and he also found out that even if there was the smallest chance at a happy ending, you should go for it.

He didn't actually need to hear it from Suzetta to encourage him to go after a happy ending for him and Ally. He was going to do that anyhow. Slipping inside his building, Austin leaped over the steps to the third floor, and didn't even have his key in the lock when the door opened up and revealed Ally looking sexy as hell. So sexy that he was forgetting all the packages of treats in his hands and coffee in his other and wanting to drop them right there so he could have her closer.

It wasn't that she was dolled up in anything special. There was no drop dead gorgeous, skin tight dress around her body. There were no high heels on her feet making her taller than she really was. There was no makeup on her face. There was just Ally, in an oversized shirt from his suitcase with her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail and black-rimmed glasses resting on the top of her head.

"I heard you jingling your keys," she bit her lip, walking backwards as he came inside and towards the kitchen. "Sorry if I startled you."

Austin placed the contents in his hands on top of the counter and turned back just as quickly, pulling her close as she could get to him and captured her lips with his own. She wasn't expecting it, he could tell, but as soon as she smiled into it and slid her arms up his own and around his neck, Austin wasn't going to let her out of wherever this was going tonight.

His hands slipped down the shirt, bunching it in his fists as their kiss went on and on. His fingers crawled down to where the shirt ended and the top of her leg started. Austin moved it up and slithered his hand over her soft skin, smirking as he realized she was just in the shirt and her adorable boy shorts. "You usually study in just this?"

Ally, still with her eyes closed, smiled against his lips. "Sometimes even less."

Austin brushed a few stray hairs away from her face and smiled big down at her. "I could get used to this. Very easily."

She bit her lip, and with her fingers playing with his collar on his own shirt, she kissed him softly before backing away from him. "How was lunch with Santo?"

"It was good. We went to that pizzeria you recommended in Mestre. The Settovece..."

"Sottovoce Pizzeria Hostaria," Ally finished for him as she closed up her books on the table.

He snapped his fingers. "Yea, that's it. It was good. We ate, talked more music and him heading off to Austria tomorrow."

"Wait, he's leaving too?"

Austin nodded, coming back to her side with the coffee still in his hands. "Yea. He's got a few concerts there next month."

He watched Ally bite her tongue, refraining from saying what was on her mind. He'd ask her about that later, putting it at the back of his mind for now. "Remember that one day in Santoli's when we first actually met and you told me that you had no clue about how Suzetta and Guisto came to be Suzetta and Guisto?"

Ally nodded, following him as he headed into the bedroom and stripped of his jacket and shoes, tossing them on top of his suitcases that were still ready to go. "Did you find out?"

Taking a seat on the bed, he looked back at her with an almost Cheshire Cat like smile.

"You did?! You have to tell me. Suzetta barely told me about their son, let alone their love story. Please tell me, please..."

Still smiling, Austin turned towards her as she bounced over to him on the bed, her knees tucked underneath her. "You want to hear the once upon a time long fairytale version or the short, straight to the point version?"

She raised an eyebrow curiously at him and tucked a stray hair that had escaped from her messy bun behind her ear. "Did you get a fairytale version? The whole once upon a time, a gorgeous girl met a handsome guy and then something tore them apart and they were reunited years later and the birds started to sing again and the sun started to shine and they indeed, lived happily ever after? That kind of fairytale?"

"Are you sure you don't know their story?" Austin eyed her and smirked at her, leaning back on the bed with his hand supporting his head as she got comfortable beside him. She shook her head and just as he started the story off with the _Once Upon A Time_, she stopped him, scurrying out of the room really fast before returning even faster. "What was that?"

"Just wanted to make sure the lights were off. Now you can tell me my bedtime story."

He had to laugh at her. It had been a long time since he had told a bedtime story to anyone. The last time, if he recalled, was to his two year old next door neighbor Max in Miami years ago and after a full day of playing outside with him during a holiday weekend had come straight to him for his bedtime story. Max already had a story picked out - one filled with dinosaurs and monsters of every kind. For Ally, though, Austin wasn't planning on putting her to sleep with this story. If anything, he was telling this to her to romance the hell out of her.

He told her about Guisto's depression and how when he returned from his service in the military, Suzetta stayed by his side until it tore her apart. How the moment she left was the moment he woke up and raced after her. Their fairytale wasn't all sunshine and roses - it was sacrifice and hardships and it took work and at the end of it all, was totally worth it. Everything they had endured - from his depression, to watching child after child escape their grasps, to even when their only born son was taken from them only a few years ago - they had stayed together and took on everything together and as Austin told Ally all of it, he found himself wanting the same. Not the hardships with having children, not the depression, not any of that. But he wanted the love worth fighting for and part of him was hoping it was with Ally. Even if it wasn't though, he still wanted it.

Ally rolled onto her back beside him, a deep breath escaping her lips. "She told you her love story. I've been pestering her for so long about it and she tells you instead."

"Is that a bad thing?"

She turned to face him, her hand landing on his t-shirt. "No, not bad. I just really want to hear it from her. It's a girl thing, I think."

"It must be," Austin smiled down at her, closing the gap between them and letting his lips dance over hers. He felt her lean into him and he pulled her closer, his hand running over her side and to her covered back. Her tongue slithered across his bottom lip just as he lifted her shirt up, going higher and higher and revealing more of her smooth skin he was itching to touch. "Aletta..."

"Still don't like my name."

"Too bad," he teased her as he kissed down to her chin and to her neck, his hands crawling up her stomach from inside her shirt. "Because I love it."

* * *

His favorite color was orange. He could play basketball blindfolded and once tried to set a Guinness World Record by spinning one on his finger. He could never write his own songs until he was forced to write an essay on Shakespeare in the seventh grade. Apparently, after reading sonnet after sonnet, something just clicked. Ally smiled into his shoulder after he told her that little tidbit about himself.

It was deep into the night, and she could see the stars glitter outside the tiny window across from the bed. She was pushing all the thoughts of him leaving in just a day to the back of her mind and realizing that he was trying to tell him everything about himself that he could before he did depart. He was telling her more about his family, about his grandfather who was still trying to convince him that a basketball career wasn't a longshot and a father who secretly wanted him to take over the mattress kingdom instead of his brother Chris. He told her about how after pancakes, pudding was his favorite food; and after that, his best friend's drum chili, with a glass of milk, because it was apparently the hottest he had ever and will ever taste. He doesn't do well at trivia, but if you did quiz him on music, he'd ace it, obviously. He told her how he gets incredibly cranky and cross with people when he hasn't gotten enough sleep.

Austin told her about getting stuck in a freezer full of ice cream one summer and it had been the greatest day of his life, how he once wanted a pony, but realized that riding them was not his forte; he even confessed to her about his middle name, which he still despised. _What kind of middle name is Monica?_ his words echoed in her mind._ But then again, my brother's middle name is Anne, so we're even there._

Ally had laughed at him for that and then melted all over again when he revealed he had a soft spot for stuffed animals - even at 25. His favorite was a dolphin that he called Dougie and may or may not be on his bed at his condo in Los Angeles.

"I have a parakeet," she whispered, not really sure why. "His name is Owen. He lives with my dad in Miami and whenever I go back home, we have full conversations about all the days we spent apart. He loves popcorn. I have a gorilla named after me in Africa somewhere. I liked Shakespeare, but I love Frances Moore. I read 'Little Women' every Christmas," she rattled off to him.

"Wait, you have a gorilla named after you? How'd that happen?"

"My mom is an animal behaviorist and since I was 14, has lived in either Africa, India or Malaysia. I actually haven't seen her since I was 17," Ally told him, moving on to the gorillas before more questions were asked. Her and her mom's relationship wasn't the best, but it was okay. "But when she was in Africa, one of the gorilla's she was studying, Lula, gave birth to twins. She named one Ally, because she was creative and the other one she named after my best friend Trish. That gorilla was tough and bossy apparently, and slept a lot."

"I've never had an actual animal named after me. I think you win that one."

"We're keeping score?"

"Not really, but if we were, you'd win."

Ally felt his fingers brush through her hair. She had her arms folded, laying on top of his naked form and her fingers trickled across his defined chest. It was a quiet moment and one that she would soak up. As much as she tried to keep it in the back of her mind, him leaving was creeping back into the front...and she couldn't really avoid it any more. That panic and worried state she was in just a few weeks ago was back and it was swelling up in her throat. "Are you ready to go back?"

Austin's hand slipped over her head and down her bare arm. "No," he answered quickly. "Not ready at all."

"I graduate next week."

"We should meet in Miami," he told her. "Before everything is booked for me. I'm in Los Angeles until June and my family, we have this big thing in July every year. It's almost like the Fourth of July lasts the entire month for us. We do fireworks every weekend...it would be every day if my grandfather and great-grandfather had anything to say about it. We'll meet there and I'll show you off and take you out on the boat for a midnight ride and..."

"I thought I was supposed to be the girl in this relationship," she smiled up at him, lifting her own nude form up and crawling up to be closer to him, slipping next to him close. "My job starts in June. I'm not exactly sure I'd be able to take off like that."

"What if Austin Moon, the pop star, called in a favor?"

"As much as that would make my day..."

"Yea," his breath was heavy. "Douche pop star move there, right? I don't know when I'll be in New York though. My promo schedule won't be decided for weeks."

"You really want to make this work?"

"Don't you?"

"God yes," she told him, her own deep breath escaping her lips. Now she could be that stereotypical girl. "I want this to work so much. I didn't plan on you, on this. I don't think you planned on me either, but now that we have it, I don't want to give it up. I don't want to scare you away by saying stuff like this."

Austin smiled down at her, stealing a kiss from her in the middle of her rambling. "I would've run away the moment you scared off my fans if I was truly scared. I want us to work."

"Me too," Ally smiled back into him again, his lips so close to her own before she backed away a bit and looked up at him. "Wait, why weren't you scared away after that? I mean, I actually scared away your fans."

"Um...I don't want to say," he bit his lip before she used some less than charming antics to get him to confess. "I'm a guy. The way you were working that workout gear was more than enough for me to stay interested."

Ally playfully punched him. Yep, he was definitely a guy.


	17. Chapter 17

The clock had been staring back at him for the past twenty minutes; sticking out it's non-existent tongue and telling him he only had six more hours until his flight back to Los Angeles. Ally had left just a half hour before to run to the university before heading to the Nicoletti's for just a bit before she would be back with him until the ferry came and she would have to push him onto it.

It got him thinking though...did he actually want her there? Not that he didn't...because he did, but just because if she was there, he wouldn't get on the ferry. He would absolutely not get on the ferry. She would push him on, sure, but he'd drag her with him.

Austin shut his eyes, running his hand over his face and through his hair before he stepped out onto the slim balcony of the apartment. His coffee in hand, he sipped on it and scrunched up his nose. After being treated and spoiled with Suzetta's coffee for the past four months, his own coffee was very lackluster. He tended to stick to the instant stuff if he was making it himself but today he actually wanted to make a full pot. He didn't know why he had the urge, but he did and the result was liquid that he was tempted to just pour out over the side of the balcony.

Sticking the cup back inside on the table, Austin switched it out for his camera. He had snapped a picture almost every day from the balcony during his stay and putting the viewfinder up to his eye for the last time, he snapped away. One last shot for the road. Letting the camera hang from his neck, Austin watched below as a few gondolas rowed by under the bridge and families and friends stopped by it, taking in the city's beauty or just waiting for someone to meet them. There was laughter, there was conversation...something that never happened in Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, it was all about getting somewhere and getting there fast. Here, it was almost the opposite. It was stopping to smell the roses and offering a big smile to anyone passing by you. It was appreciating the wonder all around and learning the history. He smiled big as he thought about it all. The learning part was what he picked up from Ally. Personally, he was still all about getting somewhere and doing something productive, but Venice had taught him to soak up all that was around him too. To take notice of the small things and the people.

He leaned over the railing, watching them all as they went by and made up stories of them in his head. He used to do this all the time with his mom when he was little and it never really left him. The two girls on the bridge were best friends reunited, he decided, all because of the way they squealed in excitement upon seeing each other. The man at the edge of the steps was a professor and looked like he was playing hookie for the day with just how much he was looking back and forth in every direction like he was sure someone was following him. There was a dog barking that came flying past, chasing something that Austin had missed completely.

He pulled his camera up again, capturing the shot of the two girls still jumping up and down in the background of the panorama and that was when he began the muse, to wonder about a story for Ally. If he hadn't had truly met her and kept running into her, what would the story be in his mind? Who would she be? What would she be like? What would her lips taste like in the morning? A smirk emerged on his own mouth, thankful he knew the answer to all of those questions - and her lips tasted like cinnamon.

Hopping back inside the apartment, he glanced at the clock again. Five hours to go. Knowing his landlord wouldn't be by until the last possible second, Austin grabbed the keys and his phone and wandered out. He had five hours left, so why not soak up even more of the city while he could? There were places that he wanted to go again and others that he head missed altogether. Setting a reminder on his phone as he stepped outside, Austin moved right.

Right was the direction of the places he hadn't seen yet. Right was where he'd find more reasons to stay...like he didn't have enough already. Right was the way where he was walking and stopping, walking and stopping and snapping pictures along the way from every angle and at every nook and cranny he spotted. It was almost like he was mapping the entire island; wanting to memorize every bit of it. He could already tell that he'd be probably printing all of them out and pasting them on his wall at his condo in Los Angeles. He also knew that they were a million times better when Ally was in them.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Austin headed up the alley and into another piazza, one across many bridges and now, he was staring out at the open waters, from the Fondamenta Zattere Ai Gesuiti and watching as tourists flocked to the restaurants on the edge of the walkway and snapped their own pictures of the sites. The water rushed up the side of the walkway and he dipped his hands in, even with the knowledge that it was completely undrinkable. But it was the most beautiful. California had an endless supply of beaches and breathtaking views, but they were nothing like Venice. Even Venice, California had nothing on the real deal.

Making his way back towards the Ponte Academia, he smiled as he passed by the ballroom where Ally and he and become Austin and Ally, saying a tiny thank you to the place and sending a silent one to Gianna. Coming upon the conservatory for the last time during his stay, he looked curiously up at the building, sending even more thank you's up to the clear skies for everything. Inside, he had made beautiful music that he was just months away from sharing with the world.

He walked over to Rio de San Luca and past Rio de la Fava, remembering that that's the bridge where the underground party was. He looked over to the Rialto Bridge, shaking his head at the impressive line of people just waiting to cross it. He came upon the Church of Madonna and was even more impressed by the lack of people flooding the historical wonder. It was ancient, Gothic and all sorts of beautiful that words couldn't even begin to describe.

Austin was rounding the Giardino Papadopoli, which was one of his favorite places on the entire island. It was a good secret that the city kept and every time he had went exploring in the park, he found something new - like statues popping up out of trees and gnomes with funny looking hats all over the place. He even like the monument of Pietro Paleocapa. Anyone who was cool enough to get a title like Supreme Knight of the Order of the Santissima Annunziata was awesome in his book. Austin also would like to point out that he only knew about that and who exactly the guy was because of Ally.

He slowed his walk down as he came back by his apartment again, with the sun slowly coming down from it's high noon position to it's four o'clock spot. Stopping on the bridge, he leaned over the railing, and actually stopped to smell the roses. They were white and pink, blooming on top of the bridge for the residents and laughed as he heard his neighbors start to argue about what to cook for dinner. Glancing up towards them, the two who lived underneath him, were so loud that he was sure the entire city could hear them and it was actually something he'd miss.

An hour later, he was shaking hands with his landlord and promising to stay in touch as he fully intended to come back to Venice soon, and hoping to stay in exactly the same spot. The apartment had treated him well and it was the perfect size for everything he needed. Wheeling his luggage away from the building, he headed back towards his second favorite place in the city - Santoli's. If he was going to leave La Serenissima, he was going to do it holding a very large, very hot coffee from Suzetta and honestly, he was only expecting that. Austin smirked and shook his head as Suzetta, although very kind, shooed the lone customer out of their shop so she and Guisto could walk him to the docks.

"Dove si trova Ally?" Guisto asked and Austin shrugged.

He had texted her earlier about heading to Santoli's before the docks and he knew she was wrapping up something at the university. He figured she had gone to the Nicoletti's but he wasn't exactly positive in that at all.

Suzetta shook her head at her husband before turning to Austin. "Non ti preoccupare, Austin. Sarà lì. Vieni, andiamo a piedi," she told him, and looped her arm through his own.

They walked slowly, and he was hoping that Ally was already waiting at the docks for him and wishing that she was still in his t-shirt that she had stolen and wore out this morning. He had no problem with her wearing his clothes; hell, she made them look so sexy. And it wasn't like he didn't have a million other similar shirts in his suitcase and in his wardrobe at home. He could see her now, in his t-shirt in those jeans that were just worn out enough to be comfortable and still be incredibly hot all at the same time. She'd be wearing her Vans, leaning up against the barriers next to the ferry while her hair settled around her shoulders, all beautiful and looking so good to run his hands through.

Austin stopped thinking about it. When did he turn into such a girl? Bringing his attention back to Suzetta and Guisto, he picked up on their conversation about the "sweet rush" they were missing for him.

"Grazie per essere venuto con me," Austin told them, not paying attention to the clock tower they passed by. "Non c'era bisogno di, ma io sono grato che hai fatto."

Suzetta cupped his cheek and brought his face down to her lips as she kissed his cheek. "Non avremmo non venire a vedere fuori. Sei un buon amico per me e Guisto," she said, their walk slowing to a stop just meters away from where the barge was. "Il mio amore, dargli i record..."

"Records?"

"Si," Guisto confirmed, pulling out the wrapped package for Austin. How had he not even noticed that? It was thick...which meant at least ten records were bundled together from Guisto's collection and he instantly turned into a five year old boy on Christmas, wanting to tear into it right then and there. "Io voglio che tu abbia questi."

"Records? You didn't have to give me these," Austin stopped, and translated the words into Italian for them. "Grazie. Grazie sia così tanto. Sei stato così buoni amici. Il mio viaggio non sarebbe stato così incredibile se non avessi saputo che."

Guisto gripped Austin's shoulder and he immediately knew the gesture. The one where it was going to be just as hard for them to say goodbye as it was him. Suzetta and Guisto had been the parental figures in his home away from home and he truly would miss them. From Suzetta's coffee and making him try out all the new tarts and pastries she was experimenting with - some where amazing, and a lot of others, were not - to bonding with Guisto over his insane record collection. When Austin first moved to Los Angeles, he had lived in Amoeba and inhaled the smell of so many records but nothing compared to the stock pile Guisto had. That smell was entirely different. It was of records that had actually been played and listened to and it was music that had touched people's lives and changed them in ways Austin couldn't touch on.

He loved Guisto's small room in the back of the bakery - the only one left as Suzetta had taken up most of the others for use of their home. Austin would kill to have a room like that one day. After stepping inside it for the first time, it was on his bucket list in two seconds after that: must have record/music room only for me. Sharing a silent thank you with the elderly man, Austin squeezed Suzetta into a hug and gave her a kiss on her head. Damn, he was really going to miss these two.

It was nearing minutes before he actually had to get on the ferry and make his departure towards the airport. Minutes as in thirty. There was time, but there was still no Ally and it was having him worried. He didn't want her at the airport with him, but that didn't mean he didn't want her here right now, because he did. He actually needed her there with him right now so he could kiss the life out of her and tell her he loved her and that he was going to pull the pop star move and get her out of work for the entire month of July just so they could spend all that time together in Miami.

He glanced down at his phone, checking for anything from her as Suzetta was checking his luggage and making sure he had everything he needed for the flight - just like a mother would.

"Austin!"

Thank God, he thought, blowing out a deep breath of hope and relief. He turned around at the sound of her voice, not truly bracing himself to be tackled by Ally at all. He stumbled as she jumped into his arms and hugged him tight.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Ally pulled away only a bit and looked up at him while he stabilized himself on the ground again. "I'm so sorry. I was at the university and then stopped home where I was kidnapped into making you this insanely huge meal for your flight and when I realized what time it was, I threw the meal and each of the Nicoletti's into the speed boat and I'm pretty sure I broke all of the canal speed limits and will be expecting so many tickets. I'm so sorry. I told you I would be here, actually, be at your apartment and we'd walk here together and I'm so sorry..."

Austin pressed his lips together, trying to stop his smile during her apology about her whereabouts. His fingers closed her lips together, stopping her from talking anymore. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're here."

"I wish we could do this day all over again. I could've cancelled everything and we could've just..."

"It would've made it even more difficult to leave," he cut her off, finishing her statement with his own; and it would have. Austin looked up, a bit taken aback by the entire Nicoletti clan walking up to bid him goodbye. "You weren't kidding about that, were you?"

Ally looked behind her briefly and looked back up at him. "No, I wasn't. I also don't think I'm ever allowed to drive the boat ever again."

Austin leaned his forehead against hers, laughing at her for a moment before saying hello and goodbye to each and every member of the Nicoletti family. He hadn't expected them to come, but he was grateful. He never expected to have this many friends when he left, or even any, except for Santo. Now, there were fifteen people standing in front of him and it was really hitting him right now. He wouldn't wake up tomorrow in a tiny bed that had been the most uncomfortable thing in the world when he arrived. He wouldn't see them or hear their voices, and he wouldn't be running into them while out in the city. He'd be over 7,000 miles away.

Ally hadn't lied, and Austin's eyes got wider when he saw just how much food Silvana and her daughters had made him for the flight. He wasn't even sure if this would pass security, but he was hoping it would. "Grazie, Silvana."

"Prego, Austin. Si torna presto e ti faremo di più."

Austin watched most of the family leave then, with only Suzetta, Guisto and Ally sticking around. In all honesty, those were the only people he wanted around. They were the ones that made Venice, Venice. Suzetta and Guisto stayed back at bit, taking a seat on a bench, and gave him the moments he needed with Ally. Her hand safely in his, he didn't want to let it go.

"How much would it take for you to come with me?" he joked with her.

"I wish I could," she whispered, her hands resting on his shirted chest. "I so wish I could."

"Mind if I get sappy here?" Austin asked, not really giving her a choice in the matter. "Chances are, I'll never get another moment like this again and I need to tell you everything because I'm not sure when the next time I'll get to see you," he took a breath and made her look up at him. "You are Venice. Whenever I think about this city, this amazing place, I'm going to think of this amazing woman who made me learn Italian and scared away my fans and, this woman who makes me laugh like at the silliest things and who inspires me to make the most beautiful music."

Austin took a breath, and brushed her hair away from her face, already seeing some tears well in her eyes. "You make me happy, Ally, and I'm trying really hard not to scare you away right now, but I'm pretty sure that I'm in love with you."

_I'm pretty sure that I'm in love with you._

* * *

This was not what she was expecting. At all. She came here to see him off and make sure he knew that she was his and that they'd still make it work, regardless of their location in the States. She was there to make sure that he was all good to go and had everything he needed. Ally stared back at him, more tears she was trying to hold in and not let spill of out of her eyes, but it was not working. They now flowed down her cheek and there he was, wiping them away and probably hoping for the same response back from her. How could she tell him the same when she didn't even know if she actually did? They had been together three weeks. Just three weeks. Was that really enough time to tell if you were in love with someone?

When Ally thought of love, there was only one couple she thought of - Suzetta and Guisto. Sure, Silvana and Benedetto were there too, but when she thought of that unconditional, through anything that might arise kind of love, she always thought of the Santoli's. Silvana and Benedetto had a whirlwind romance, one that almost mimicked hers and Austin's. They'd been married for almost fifty years. Maybe whirlwind romances were the best ones? She didn't know. All she knew was that loosing the guy in front of her right now was killing her.

"You don't have to say anything back. I just needed you to know."

Ally shook her head, closing her eyes tight, and yelled at her brain from overthinking everything. Her heart knew. Her heart knew the moment he said yes to going to Carnevale with her and her heart definitely knew the moment he taught her how to properly dance in her White Queen wedding dress. She knew it and he was it. She didn't have the words though, not yet. Instead, she pulled his face down to hers, almost attacking his mouth with hers.

Now, she really didn't want him to go. Now, she wanted to skip her graduation, forgetting about everything and hop on that plane with him. She wanted to go with him to Los Angeles and learn about his life there. She wanted to hear his music again and watch him wow everyone with his new sound. Most of all, she just wanted to be with him. The bells on the ferry, broke her thoughts, alerting them both to it's departure.

Austin pulled her up into his arms again, his face buried in the crook of her shoulder. "I didn't think I was going to cry."

Ally laughed a little. "I'll cry for the both of us," she assured him and turned towards his ear, whispering the three little words that were absolutely, 100 percent true: "I love you too."

"That's it. I'm not leaving now."

"Then you shouldn't have told me that you loved me," she pointed out. Ally let her hand cup his cheek, kissing him slowly this time. "Don't forget about me."

"There's no way in hell I'm forgetting you. You are my White Queen." He kissed her again, letting his lips do all the talking then and make all the promises she was making back to him. There were still butterflies in her stomach, and then there were bats. Giant bats that were scraping the lining of her stomach and begging to be released. "I love you."

Ally watched as he got on the ferry and leaned into Guisto's shoulder as they watched the barge make it's way towards Mestre. The couple had left mid way through it's journey, but she stayed. She stayed until it wasn't light outside any more. It was dusk and it was getting colder and for the first time in days she'd be heading back to the Nicoletti's instead of Rio Novo; and somehow, it almost felt foreign. She'd be in a bed without him and she wasn't sure how she would handle it.

She was startled as an arm came around her shoulder and she jumped before seeing it was Vittoria. "We know what you need."

"Austin," she stated. "I need Austin." His flight had left hours ago and she remembered seeing the plane soar to the skies in the distance.

"That too," Gianna agreed. "But, more over, you need ice cream. Lots of ice cream."

Ally smirked at her friends, so thankful they were there with her and for her in so many ways.

Vittoria turned Ally around, looping her arm through hers as Gianna did the same on the other side and they walked away from the docks. She nudged her side, "Good thing we're stocked."


	18. Chapter 18

Miami, Florida. July.

"Ally, as your best friend in the entire universe, I love you, but if you play this song one more time, I will be forced to kill you."

Trish sat on the bench inside Sonic Boom, waiting for Ally to wrap up her shift at the store so they could go to the beach and make fun of the cliche couples that had always made them gag. Ally had only stepped in for one of her dad's employees for the day since they had eaten something not on the menu at Mini's and it resulted in them not getting any sleep the night before. Not that she minded, she actually enjoyed working at the store. It was where she grew up and where she fell in love with music. Nothing could ever replace Sonic Boom.

"But it's such a good song!" Ally insisted, walking away from the register to join her friend, all clad in her bright pink zebra suit with even brighter neon blue shorts on.

"As you've told me before, and your dad, and his girlfriend, and this entire store," Trish paused for a moment. "In fact, I'm pretty sure the entire population of Miami knows because it's on non-stop. Here, on your playlist, in your car. Ally, it's even your ringtone!"

She blushed just a bit. All of that was technically true, but she couldn't help it. She was hoping that this was going to be Austin's first single off his new record and she recalled telling him that he'd lose her as a fan if it wasn't. She smiled to herself and was willing to bet that the song was chosen all because of her and even if it wasn't, she was okay thinking it was.

It had been three months since she last saw Austin, but only three days since she talked with him. As soon as he landed in Los Angeles, despite the time difference, it was her that he called. She could hear the tiredness in his voice and listened to his breathing as he fell into a deep sleep on his bed that night. She had graduated a week later and two days after, it was her on the ferry to Marco Polo Airport, hopping on a flight headed towards Rome, en route to Miami. It was her with a Santoli's coffee in her hand and a box of food from Silvana; which she wouldn't lie, she loved that meal. It was so much better than anything served on an airplane.

"When do you get off?"

"About ten minutes. Did you pick out a movie?"

"I was thinking _Baby Be Mine_ or that new one with Jennifer Aniston," Trish offered up as Ally grabbed her small bag from behind the counter and switched off with another employee.

Slipping her sunglasses on, Ally walked with Trish as she talked about which movie to go with, all while complaining about not getting enough time off from her job. Together they only got the long weekend off for the Fourth of July weekend and honestly, she was okay with that, but Trish was not. Trish wanted the entire month off...and that only got her thinking about Austin and his story about his family actually spending the entire month of July celebrating the summer time.

Turning out of the mall and down the walkway to the beach, Ally let her friend go on and on, not really paying attention to what the hell she was saying...up until she just happened to spot the Moon's Mattress Kingdom across the road and it made her heart skip a beat. It wasn't just any Moon's Mattress Kingdom either. It was the original location. The original where, if she had known Austin while they were both growing up in Miami, he would've been working after school and selling people mattresses and be wearing a silly costume crown that he told her was the worst thing to ever wear.

She laughed at him for that, but now kind of wished she could've seen him wear one. She saw him in the one Gianna had made up for Carnevale but that was entirely different. This only got her thinking about just how close they actually were to each other while they were teenagers and she was berating herself about why they didn't.

"Ally," Trish tugged on her arm, smacking her when she was still staring at the store front. "Ally!"

"Sorry, Trish," she shook her head, snapping out of her wonderment for the moment. Trish raised an eyebrow, wanting to know why she was staring at some random mattress store in the middle of the street. "It's his family's business."

Trish let out a short 'ah'. "That explains why you've been staring at it for the past ten minutes and we missed the last three traffic walks. When's the last time you talked to him?"

"Three days. He called while I was in the shower, I called back and he was recording. We finally made contact at like eleven."

"And you got to sleep at..."

Ally bit her lip, a bit embarrassed and happy all at the same time, "Um...five?"

"Five a.m.?!" Trish exclaimed as the two stopped in front of the store. "Who are you? What have you done with the Ally Dawson I grew up with? You know, the one who was a stickler for rules and had to have her lunch, dinner and breakfast at the same time every day and the one who was in bed and asleep by ten every day, no matter if it was summer or not?"

Ally laughed at Trish. That Ally was long gone. This Ally, this Ally was very different...well, kind of. She still took her breakfast, lunch and dinner all at the same time but the staying up late and doing random things because she wanted to and needed to, that was born in college. And the Ally that fell in love? That was the new Ally, and the new Ally definitely stayed up late to talk to her long distance boyfriend, who was on the other side of the country finalizing and mastering his new record for his fans.

They'd been talking like that for a while. Since she returned to the States, he was the first one she called and every week, in reality it was every few days, they'd be on the phone with each other or texting throughout the day and when her dad and his new girlfriend had left for a little getaway to Vero Beach, where her family was from, Ally had utilized Skype to it's fullest. There was breakfast, there was dinner, there was a little strip poker in there for a little fun and then there was Austin telling her that he wished he was there and her telling him the same thing. She missed him and she was counting down the days until she could see him again...whenever that may be.

"We should go in there. You can meet his family, see what you're in for."

"Trish, no!" Ally started to pull her best friend along.

"Why not? Hey, doesn't he have a brother? Is he single? Because since I threw Tom out the window, I need a little something."

Ally rolled her eyes and dragged her along, ignoring all the ridiculous things she was saying about going in the store under false pretenses. Even though she couldn't help but think about what his family was like. After hearing everything about them, Ally almost felt like she knew them. She knew that his dad was old school and the definition of tradition. She knew that his mom, although not a natural blonde, went on and on about how she was. She also knew that his brother, Christopher, was a beach person and also a natural salesperson. She smiled, recalling that Austin told her that Chris could sell a toothpick for the price of a Rolls Royce.

She wondered, still staring at the store front as Trish rambled on about what the family could be like, that if Austin were here, would he take her to meet them? She remembered what he said in Venice about July and showing her off, but it had been three months. Three months since she last truly saw him, touched him, kissed him. Who knew if he still felt the same way about wanting her to meet everyone now.

Ally glanced at the watch on her wrist and grabbed Trish's hand. "We have to go. The movie is starting in like ten minutes."

"We're so not going to make it anymore," Trish said.

"Your fault," Ally replied back. "And I know you don't run, but we have to run for this."

"This was not my fault!"

"Oh, yes it was!"

"Ally, you're the one who stopped," Trish pointed out. "Do not blame this on me. You know how blaming me goes. Only blame me if it's something that screams 'Trish' and I profit from it."

* * *

Tess Walters was amazing, just like her father told her she was. Ally had first met her at the airport where her dad stood with Tess on one side and balloons, a big sign and even a noisemaker in his mouth when she first arrived back home in Miami months ago. Since then, she'd been in and out of Miami a few times while she was getting set up in New York with Trish as her new roommate (verdict was still out on how that was going to go), but every time Ally returned, Tess was always there and always even more sweeter than the last time she saw her.

Ally watched her dad dance away with Tess on the beach while they were enjoying the Fourth of July firework show and she couldn't help but smile...and be a little sad all at the same time. She was happy for her dad and the love he'd found with Tess but deep inside, was still missing that it wasn't her mom with him. Ally supposed it was every little girl's dream - to see her parents in their old age, still in love, and still dancing with one another when they were gray haired and had knees that would give out on them at any second. Like Suzetta and Guisto and even Silvana and Benedetto.

She hadn't spoken to her mom in months, and the conversation they had after she returned to the States was short and rushed. It wasn't the conversation she imagined having with Penny, but it was something. It was more like, 'Hey mom, just to let you know, I graduated,' before Penny had said a forced congratulations before making up an excuse about some animal in need. Ally hadn't expected it to be long, but she was banking on it being longer than ten minutes.

Maybe that was the reason her parents' relationship broke up. There was never enough time spent together and never ever enough communication. There was always her mom running back off to Africa to study more animals and her father burying himself in the store and earning more money to support her mom's dreams and also her own. Ally had been mad at her mom for a long time and when she finally let it go during high school, it was possibly the best thing she could've ever done. It made her appreciate her dad more and love him even more than she thought possible.

Lester twirled Tess around as the music got faster and Ally pulled out her phone, snapping a quick, but blurry photo of the two. Looking down at her phone for just a brief second, she noticed the little exclamation point in the corner of her screen. Opening up the message, Ally couldn't wipe the smile from her face when she saw it was from Austin.

"I am in Fourth of July hell," his text read and made her laugh. "Missing you like crazy right now."

"I miss you too," her fingers typed right back. "So much. Why is your Fourth of July hell?"

"Because I'm not with you."

Her squeals over his words were muted by the first boom going off in the sky. The colors were blue and white and the lights sprinkled over the skyline and it was gorgeous, but somehow, it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same without Austin with her. Not that she knew what a fireworks show would be like with him, she just knew that the show would be amazing with him by her side and him holding her hand and them watching the show together. With him still in Los Angeles at the moment, it just wasn't living up to her expectations. They would be the ones dancing to the lights in the sky, and they would be the ones doing crazy things on the beach. She wanted to be that crazy couple with him.

"You're sweet. Still in LA?"

"Just got through security at LAX. Coming home tonight. Dez is directing a mini-film with my fans and I'm actually in hell."

Ally laughed. She could only imagine the scene before her. "What time tonight? I'll wait up for you."

"Flight gets in early tomorrow."

"I leave tomorrow."

"What time?"

"My flight is at 4. Trish and I are back at work on Tuesday."

"Then I'll have you until three."

...that was the plan anyway...up until she woke up the next morning to another couple of texts from him about how the plane had made an emergency landing in Houston for a mechanical issue. While she was glad he had been safe on the ground again, that meant he wouldn't be in Miami in time for them to even spend an hour together. He was back on another plane now and texting or calling him back wouldn't do anything right now.

The plan was for them to spend how many hours they had wrapped up in each other, breathing each other in and not letting the other out of their sight up until three p.m. when he would drive her back to the airport and kiss her like they were in a movie where her foot would pop and he'd lift and twirl her around and maybe, just maybe, he'd screw security and hop the line, running to her before she got on the plane and do it all again. That was the plan. And now, thanks to airlines and their completely messed up crap, it wasn't going to happen.

Ally glanced at her watch. It was one right now. Trish was still with her family, or as she called it, was "kidnapped" by them for the afternoon before she'd meet up with her later on. This left Ally with her dad and while she loved spending time with her dad, she wanted it to be Austin. The airlines screwing everything up had messed up her whole mood for the day and she was fairly certain that Lester could see it...which was why he was playing all of Austin's songs over the speakers in the store regardless of the looks he was getting from some customers.

"Are you hungry Ally?" Tess caught her attention from the doorway of the practice room. She had been sitting at the raggedy old piano that she had learned to play on for the past hour, her hands just laying over the keys. "I'll get you something anyway. You're a pickle person, right?"

Ally nodded and got a thumbs up from Tess before she left. Turning back to face the piano once again, Ally pressed down on the C key, and then the A, and before she knew what was happening, she was playing a completely new melody. The melody that sounded like Venice and the days when she was still just friends with Austin. It reminded her of their little tour and her telling him random facts about The Floating City that no one else would actually find interesting.

Pulling out a few blank pages of sheet music from the bottom of the pile on top of the instrument, Ally scribbled the notes on them. Listening to them all over again as she wrote and circled in the notes with a pencil that was on it's last leg. She played it over again on the white keys at her fingertips, turning another page to extended the song and by the time she stopped writing, it was just a little past two. She folded the music up, holding it in her hand before heading downstairs just as her dad caught her attention.

"You really do know him, don't you?"

Ally looked back at her dad confused, as he handed her her phone that had been buzzing off the counter. "You thought I made that up?"

"No, I just...well, maybe."

"Dad!"

"This has been buzzing all over here for hours," he pointed at the gadget and she opened her messages.

They weren't texts. They were actually phone calls with voicemails. Sticking the phone to her ear, Ally waved to Trish as she arrived at the store, along with suitcase and brother JJ who was driving them to the airport, and listened to the notes Austin left.

"I had French Toast this morning. Actual French Toast," his voice paused and she brought her hand to her mouth in a bit of shock about his declaration. "They were drizzled with cinnamon and bananas and it was good...but it wasn't your French Toast. My pancakes will still top the list, but I wanted you to know that I had French Toast today and as soon as I put it in my mouth, I missed you even more. I hate being apart from you. I hate not being able to reach over and kiss you right now."

There was another pause and Ally made sure to catch the little tears that were in danger of spilling out of her eyes. They'd been apart for three months and it was torture. She wanted to reach through the phone right now too, and hug him tight and that longing almost made her want to quit her job she had worked so hard for and race to be with him. But the moment she thought about it, she scrapped that idea for many, many reasons including the one where he would never let her do that.

"I'm going to call you later on again and talk with you until the sun rises. I love you."

* * *

He was tired. Tired beyond the definition of tired. It was a well known fact that Austin Moon flew a lot, but not a ton of people knew that he never slept well on planes; and when said plane to get him to Miami and his girlfriend and his family was making unprecedented landings in cities he didn't want to go to, sleep wasn't ever going to come to him. He pulled out his phone, checking the time: 3:37 p.m., jumping at the pat on his back that came from Dez.

Austin walked ahead, leaving his redheaded best friend behind and checked the monitors, searching for outgoing flights to New York. Not that he was going there, but someone very special was and knowing her flight was at four, he was hoping to race to her gate and give her that cliche movie scene they were laughing at just days ago. "Dez, what gate are we at?"

"H7," Dez quickly spat off, stuffing his headphones into his carry on bag beside him.

Austin's eyes caught the flight Ally had to be on...and it was all the way across the airport in the D terminal. Not that he couldn't run there, but running there in five minutes and stopping the flight? Probably not. He glanced down at his phone, pressing her name on his favorites list and begged her to pick up the phone before he was caught by fans and had to get security involved. Austin shook his head, this was Miami, that wouldn't happen here. That never happened here. It happened everywhere else though.

"Hello?"

"Ally?"

"No, Trish. One sec," the other girl, Austin remembered as Ally's best friend passed the phone to her and his face lit up as soon as she answered.

"If I pulled a Ross Gellar and told you to get off the plane right now, would you?" he asked, not waiting for an answer. "I'm standing in the H terminal and really upset that I am not a warlock or witch or whatever so I could beam myself to you in three seconds because I'm pretty sure they've already locked up the door and even though I am Austin Moon, they would not open it back up just for me."

"I think you should try," she said and he could see her smile curl up on her face. "You never know."

"I don't think it would work. I'm so mad at this airline. Never flying it again," Austin turned back at Dez, who was the one that got the flight in the first place for them.

"Yes, you will," she teased. "But I'm mad at them too. They screwed up everything."

"There we go. Get on the 'I hate Delta' train with me," he chuckled into the phone just as he heard the flight attendant tell her they were going to taxi in just a few minutes. "I'm still calling you tonight."

"Good. I'll be expecting it."

"I'm sorry Ally."

"It's Delta's fault. Not yours."

"Actually, let's blame Delta and Dez. He's the one who booked this flight."

"Hey!" Dez yelled behind him, but Austin ignored his friend.

He let out a sigh, knowing she had to get off the phone in just a few seconds. "I'll talk to you later."

"I love you, Austin."


	19. Chapter 19

New York City. September

Phone calls, Skype dates and texts were not the real thing. After missing Ally in Miami in July, Austin was back on a plane to Los Angeles and then to London and then to Paris and back to Los Angeles once more before here. New York City. The same city she worked and lived in; and yet, he hadn't raced across town and banged down her door to see the moment he got there. Why? Because their last phone call was not the best. In fact, if was kind of the worst.

It was them going back and forth with each other, trying to get together somewhere. Anywhere, really. He told her to take a few days off, she told him the same. The moment they made plans, they were always cancelled and mostly by him. It wasn't entirely his fault, it was his label's. He did have an album to promote though and he thought she understood that. This last argument was heated and loud and he was thankful that he had been in a soundproof booth inside the studio so no one else could hear the words they were saying to each other. He never wanted to say those things. Not to her. Not ever.

The separation was getting to them and they were arguing more than talking. At first it was just the little things - the joking fights about how pancakes were still better than French Toast and how pizza with pineapples was something that she loved, while he hated. Those were the fights he was okay with because it ended with him always kissing his phone, pretending she was right next to him. But these fights were bigger, more than just their flirty fights. He wanted her to come to him for a weekend, she wanted him to come to her. It was the distance and not seeing each other for almost seven months now. It was getting to him and he knew it was getting to her.

Wishing away the light throbbing in his temple, Austin leaned back in the chair in his dressing room and tried to concentrate on his performance coming up, all while listening to his manager who, even at five a.m. in the morning was on the phone and talking a mile a minute. Scott was a good manager - so good in fact, that he hadn't needed an actual publicist in years. At the moment, he was on the phone with someone in London, re-confirming a promo event for next week that had had to be rescheduled.

In just a few hours, he'd be in Central Park and playing his next single on a grand piano and he wanted to do it; he was contractually obligated to do it, but he also wanted to sprint across town to the Italian Consulate. He'd be pulling out all the stops for a cliche movie scene. He'd speak the Italian he knew, go to every floor on the building and call out her name like he was dying and when he would find her, Austin would do as every movie hunk does, and sweep Ally up into his arms and kiss her on the spot, not caring who was watching or their reactions. He'd twirl her around and kidnap her away from her job for the next month, if he had his way.

"How much time do I have between this and London, Scott?" Austin asked, interrupting Scott's current phone call with his eyes still closed.

"Six days," he quickly answered. "Don't get any ideas."

Austin slipped open one eye and smirked at him. "When you gonna learn man? I have a lot of ideas."

And this idea, was a good one. He just hoped it would work. Reaching for his phone that was on the counter top beside him, Austin clicked on Ally's name and let out a huff as he glanced at the last text she sent him. He was ignoring it for a reason and wasn't going to acknowledge he even got it. Breaking up with her was not an option. Ever.

_Watch Good Morning America today._

* * *

"I have my keys, purse, heels," Ally double checked her bag one more time and ran her hand through her hair once more. She was in a frazzle this morning and running late and if she didn't run out the door now, she would not make her train and she would miss the meeting she had been working on for three weeks. It was the meeting she needed to be there for because no one else knew what said meeting was about or why they were even having it.

"Ally, you have everything, go," Trish told her for the fifth time, pulling her along to the door for her own good.

Ally had been going back and forth on all the things she would need for today, trying to push thoughts about the night before out of her mind and concentrate on the meeting this morning. But who was she kidding? Her mind was still on the fight she had with Austin. They hadn't seen each other in seven months. Seven long damn months and as much as the love was still there, she needed to see him, needed to feel him, something. Something other than just Skype dates and long phone calls and flirty texts. Those were good and all, but there was nothing like seeing someone right there in front of you and she needed that. His reasons were valid - he was promoting a record, and she thought hers were too. This was a brand new job the consulate had created just for her. There was no way in hell she was screwing anything up at work so they could get rid of her.

But he was also right. She did have some time in her bank, she could take a few days off and go and see him...but she didn't. In her mind, she wanted to save it all up so she could surprise him on a random trip to Los Angeles. Dez, who had become the middle man between them sometimes and had turned into a good friend of hers, would be in on that surprise. Last night's conversation was all about missing each other and him putting off seeing her for another day. He was in New York and he was still postponing seeing her and she was livid at that. Was it something she did or said that he didn't want to see her? Ally had even tried to find out what hotel he was at, but neither him, nor Dez was telling her and it was frustrating her to no end.

Her snapping at the end of their conversation was not something she wanted to do, but she did it anyhow. She was mad and sad all at once and she wanted to see him and sleep in his arms and hold him, like they had in Venice. God, she missed Venice. Not just because it was her favorite city on the entire planet, but because that was the place where she fully fell in love and she wanted that feeling back in her veins. Right now, that feeling was running out...and she didn't want it to run out.

Ally hopped onto the train, trying to brush all the feelings about him and their predicament out of her mind. She had to. Instead, she pulled out her notes for the meeting. The ones she would be giving and making sure everyone understood. The same meeting that would be providing a very much needed distraction from Austin Moon.

* * *

Much like Ally had told her once about Austin not being a runner, Trish was not one either. In fact, if Trish had the option, she'd be having four hunky guys carry her from her office at Rockefeller Center to Park Avenue, complete with them being shirtless and a golden carriage on top of their shoulders. That was not the case though. She had taken a taxi up until East 65th Street which she was surprised and thankful about all at the same time. Traffic had stopped suddenly when they hit the marker and just as she let cash fly towards the driver, Trish was out the door and running down the block towards the two toned building with more than one Italian flag flying in the wind today.

Ally worked on the second floor, left building, fourth office in. That was twenty steps upwards, two full sprints across and keeling over right at her door. Trish de la Rosa was not a runner, Ally Dawson was. Ally Dawson had also tried to get Trish de la Rosa into running but, as you can tell, was not successful in any aspect of that. Sure, she went to the park with her to watch her run, but that was about it. Trish would be the one on the bench, timing her best friend and roommate all while watching the hot guys pass her by.

With Ally's phone still safely in her purse around her body, Trish slowed her step just before she reached her office and caught her in the board room still - with all her bosses and her assistant and so many important people that this could go one of three ways. Trish could a) bust into her meeting and kidnap her to go to Central Park, just across the street, not caring if Ally lost her job; b) she could bust in there still and make her watch the show, still not caring about if she lost her job; or c) she could let the meeting go on and watch her best friend be miserable. Yea, that last one was not going to happen.

"Trish, what are you doing here?" Ally stopped her presentation, staring back at the Latina banking manager.

"I know this meeting is really important to you and I apologize for breaking in, but I need to steal you and we need to go to Central Park."

"Now? Like, right now?" Ally raised her eyebrow. "Why?"

"Yes, right now and because the love of your life, who you couldn't stop crying over last night is performing and he wants you there."

"And you know this because..."

"Your phone," Trish pulled it out and handed it to her. "You left it at the apartment and I saw his text. Ally, we need to get you there now."

Trish didn't know how to read Ally's expression. It was just blank, almost like the only way to convince her to drop everything was to show her the text...or for Austin, who'd she never met or talked to for more than three syllables, to show up miraculously and sweep the girl off her feet. If he could do the latter, she'd greatly appreciate that.

"Ally!"

"I can't leave this meeting Trish," she shook her head, stepping around her and clearing her throat to start back on the meeting that was interrupted.

Ally wasn't listening and there was possibly only one way she would listen. Trish reached over the table and grabbed the remote for the streaming box that was hooked up to probably every television on the floor. Switching it to ABC, Trish smiled to herself seeing that Austin's name was just being announced and he stepped up on the stage, waving to the fans who showed up...and judging by the size of the _Good Morning America_'s space and just how many heads she was looking at the back at, there were a lot of fans there.

"Trish!" Ally called and it made her run around the table to avoid Ally snatching the remote to take it away and turn off the program. "I'm running a meeting here!"

"At the same time your boyfriend is performing on GMA!" Trish stuffed the remote into her shirt and placed her hands on her hips. "You're watching this. You're all watching this, because these two," she gestured between Ally and the toe-head on the screen, "have this complicated but amazing love story that they're about to give up on but they shouldn't. Because even though it's been seven months, even though they haven't seen each other since they left Venice, they still love each other and I hear it every single day when he calls her. Every. Single. Day." Trish stared back at Ally, who still stood at the front of the table and defeat was taking over her face.

Trish watched Ally glance at her bosses, apologizing to them for her crazy friend, a title she would take and wear proudly. If she wasn't crazy like this, Ally would be missing out at her love story of a lifetime...and she would be missing out at being the fairy godmother in all of this. From what Trish could understand, her bosses were okay with everything. They had meeting notes, they could pick it up later on and two of them even left, but the others stayed.

She heard one of them say that she didn't even know Ally was dating, let alone dating Austin Moon. Ally quickly corrected her. _It's not dating, if you never see the person._ Trish, of course, rolled her eyes at this. She could argue it was because she could list at least ten times there were romantic dinners over Skype, flowers sent to their place monthly, even three page long emails that she found Ally still reading over and over and her being the ultimate girl and squealing over. Yes, it was dating.

"Austin Moon!" Lara Spencer welcomed him back to the stage, giving him a short hug with the microphone still close to them as the squeals from the crowd went on...and on and on. "How are you?"

"I'm not doing too bad. Glad to be back here. Hey everyone," Austin waved and Trish took a seat next to Ally, making sure she was watching and not looking down at her notes for the meeting. Even if he was breaking up with her on the show, she needed to watch. Not that Trish thought he would. That was not Austin.

"We hear that you're going to play us your next new single today."

"I am," Austin slipped out his smile. "I'm going to play you that one and a new special track that if I know my fans, have found this secret song on the album."

"Wait, there's another bonus song?" Lara asked.

Austin nodded. "There is. This is hidden on the tail end of the last song and it's called 'Places In Your Heart'. It was written for someone very special to me."

Lara looks out to the crowd as they cheer. "Someone special...did you hear that Moonpies?" she greeted the crowd, calling them by his fandom name.

"Yea. I was horrible. This person and I, we have something that I can't even name and I miss her so much. The track, which I wrote in Venice, was written for her."

Trish looked over at Ally. "He wrote a song for you?"

Ally shrugged her shoulders, and looked unaware about this...even though she'd been playing and replaying and replaying the entire record since it showed up at their door two months ago. Two months ahead of the record hitting shelves and digital retailers. She was one of the first people to hear it and while Trish liked it, it was getting a little tiresome.

Back on the screen, Austin sat behind the piano, his hands tickling the keys and singing into the microphone attached. The lyrics were beautiful, if Trish was honest. She honestly thought it was every girl's dream, to have a song written for her and not only that, but have a song written for her from a very, very good looking and very sought after pop star.

"_Whatever it takes, to make you believe. From the depths of my soul, I want you to know, I would do anything_," Austin sang over the television, his eyes closed shut as he concentrated on the song. "_I will be here, just a whisper away. When you're ready to fly, I will be by your side. Forever and always_..."

Trish looked over at Ally again, seeing the glassy-ness over her eyes, and clasped her hand. From her reaction, Ally knew this song and she knew it well. When Ally returned from Venice, she had told Trish all about her tenure there and couldn't stop telling her about how she fell in love. But this, this part was still a mystery to her. This song meant something and it meant something big. Trish was tempted to turn the program off now, but she didn't. She needed to see if there was something else Austin wanted to tell Ally. Ally needed it too.

The program cut to another segment inside the studios just as the song ended and Lara announced they would be back...giving Trish just enough time to actually find out what the song really meant.

"He was writing that the day after," Ally whispered because going into all the details. The night after the first ball, that was what he was writing. The first ball where Ally hoped something would happen and it didn't. The night she really wanted to start something with him. She remembered the words, but not the music.

Trish reached for a tissue for her as _Good Morning America_ came back from the commercial break. She looked back at the television, now seeing Austin quickly snapping photos with fans before being pulled back on stage and grabbing a seat on a chair next to Lara for his interview.

"Now, let's talk about that secret song again. That was beautiful Austin."

"Thanks."

"Can we get you to tell us about this person who inspired it?"

Austin smiled, looking out into the audience. "Um...she's beautiful. She's so beautiful I have to pinch myself that I'm the lucky guy she chose," Austin paused and looked at the camera. "She helped me learn Italian and is the sole reason I know how to say things in the language. She looks amazing in workout clothes even though she runs like a mad woman. She just turned everything in my world right side up."

"Sounds like you've been bitten by the love bug," Lara laughed at her own joke.

"A million times over," Austin agreed. "Lately though, it's been hard since because of all this promo for the _Three_, I've been all over and we actually haven't seen each other since I left Venice. I need to let her know that I still love her and will be fighting for us until forever."

Lara stared back at Austin, just like Trish was right now. She was slightly stunned and very impressed. Austin just admitted on live television that he was boots over bonnets in love with her. Trish would die if anyone did that for her.

"I'm actually headed there after this and would love if she joined me. I'll be at the place where the view goes on forever and the buildings are falling apart."

Trish looked back at Ally, her expression still blank like she was trying to absorb it all. "You know where he's talking about?" she asked her and smiled as she nodded her head. Looking at the other girls still in the board room, Trish quickly barked orders at them. She needed this to work and even if Ally was going to argue with her, which she was banking on, Trish would get her way.

Ally was going to Venice.


	20. Chapter 20

Okay guys, this is the last chapter.

* * *

JFK Airport, New York City. Terminal 1, Flight 7617, Alitalia Airlines

Security at JFK airport was always a bitch. Always, always, always. Her flight was at 8:47 p.m. and it was 7:45 right now. That meant her flight was boarding and if she didn't race across the terminal to gate nine, which was all the way down the corridor, she was going to miss it. She counted back from ten as her things came out of the security belt and quickly grabbed them all, shoes included, and scooped them into her arms.

Ally had talked with her bosses after Trish had yelled at them. She loved her best friend, but snapping at her bosses, who had just promoted her and gave her a huge pay increase, was not what she wanted. In the midst of Trish telling them that she was flying out to Venice that day and all the who's, why's, and when's, Ally cut her off, speaking kindly and softly to them all. Thankfully, they were great bosses and let her have a few days off. Especially since she was going back to Italy on a whim.

Slipping the flats onto her feet, she zigzagged her way in between all the other frequent flyers, who were taking their old sweet time getting to and from gates to baggage claim and the food court. They were frustrating her. Didn't they know she was on a mission here? She had to get on this plane. To Venice. To him. She didn't have any time to take her time walking to the gate. She needed to be in on the plane, in her seat and eating the entire supply of free peanuts the craft was carrying.

Wiping her hair out of her face, Ally pulled her bag over her body and bolted for it. She hadn't checked any bags and after packing just anything that was in her drawers at her apartment into a spare bag, was off to the airport in a taxi that Trish was holding up for her. Spotting her gate just up ahead and a small line of people boarding, Ally pulled out her ticket and double checked her seat number. She had no idea how much the ticket cost - Trish had done everything - and had no idea of how or when she'd pay her back, but she was still thanking her lucky stars for a friend like her. Where else would you find a Trish de la Rosa these days?

"Just in time," the check in desk attendant smiled down at her and double checked her ticket. With just one swipe and a line of green, she was checked in and was prepared to run down the hallway and onto the plane...but then she was met with an even longer line than the one getting through security.

This was good...and bad. Good because now she could overanalyze this whole thing and bad because she really just wanted to be in her seat, stuffing peanuts in her mouth and drinking all the coffee she could on their way to Venice. It was an overnight flight too. The coffee plus the salty snack would give her even more time to think about everything she wanted to say to Austin before she crashed and burned. She wanted to know why Venice, why now, and why he couldn't have just picked up the phone. New York could be just as romantic as Venice was...that's what she was telling herself anyhow.

The line moved slow and she was thinking about how the hell he was actually getting to the tiny island he told the world he was going to. Maybe he had Benedetto on speed dial and was pulling in a favor and if that was the case...how would she get there? She wasn't exactly allowed to rent her own boat, ever since getting all those tickets getting to him at the docks. Maybe she could pull in a favor at the consulate...not that asking for a few days off suddenly wasn't a big enough favor. Ally looked down at her phone, tempted to call Gianna for an idea when it went off.

"Please tell me you are on the plane." Trish's voice echoed on the other end.

"Almost. Still on the bridge."

"Good enough for me. I was really worried you wouldn't make it, considering you were procrastinating enough all afternoon."

Ally rolled her eyes as she stepped onto the plane and pulled out the ticket she had stuffed in her pocket, glancing at the seat number once again. 12K. Wait, 12K? "Trish, you got me in business class? How much did this cost you?"

"Don't worry about that. Worry about finding him in Venice and being that couple that everyone wishes they were and don't forget to name me godmother to all your children."

"Trish!" Ally yelled her name, making the man and a few others in front of her turn. "I do not have that kind of money to pay you back with. I'll be paying you and my student loans off all at the same time. House poor here."

"Which is why you're getting yourself a rich and handsome husband to be in Austin Moon."

Ally brought her hand up to her face and started to rub the bridge of her nose. Great, now just instead of worrying about Austin and their relationship, she also had to find a second job to pay Trish back for a plane ticket that was well out of financial reach. Ally would've been just as happy sitting in the last possible seat at the back of the plane, and actually, would've preferred it. She ended the call with Trish quickly and turning left into the business class section, was roadblocked by not just one, but three people, standing up and blocking every single loop in the row.

"Miss," a flight attendant, whose name also happened to be Patricia, urged her to come to her. "Let's go this way. It'll be easier."

Patricia led Ally around to the other row, where everyone was in their right mind and sitting down. Ally felt her heartbeat slow down, now a little less worried about getting to her seat. She could feed all that worry into what she was going to say to Austin now. Something she would have eight plus hours to think about.

"Flying for pleasure miss?" Patricia asked her.

"I don't actually know," she answered and it was the truth. Was this pleasure? It certainly wasn't business.

"Either way, you're going to have a great flight. Our staff is the best and if you need anything..."

"Ally?"

She stopped then, just as they made a turn to go into the other row where her seat was located. It was that voice. His voice. Turning back, Ally stared back at Austin. It was really him. He was there. Standing in front of her and she didn't know what to do. Did she jump up into his arms and kiss the life out of him? Did she still hug him and then hit him after, because making her fly to Venice on a moments notice was not the way to sweep her off her feet again? Or did she just stare back, like he was doing to her. Yea, staring was a good option.

* * *

She was there. She was actually there, and standing in front of him. It only took three minutes for them to become the spectacle of the airplane as he pulled her up into his arms and squeezed her tight. God, she felt good in his arms. So, so good. So good that he wasn't attempting to make a move even when the flight attendant told them to take their seats for takeoff. Nope, not letting her go. He'd spent nearly eight months away from her, four rows away was going to be even more torture.

"Sir, Miss, you really do have to take your seat," Patricia reminded them again and wasn't phased by him shaking his head, unwilling to let the woman in his arms go.

"Any way you can make the man in 4C move to her seat?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no. It's just...well, kind of. The man is a big fan of mine, or his children are and has made me sign a ton of things so far..." Austin looked down at Ally, who was seeing straight through his whole story. It was a big fat lie and one he would tell over and over again.

He watched her shake her head and turn around in his arms. "Actually," Ally spoke up. "We just really wanted to sit together. See, we haven't seen each other in a really, really long time. Austin will actually pay for the man's drinks the entire night if you can get him to move. And I know you're not allowed to accept tips, but I'm sure Austin here can get you a signed album or tickets to an upcoming concert, or something."

Okay, that would work too...and it did. Patricia let them alone for only a moment before returning with Austin's former seat mate and let them go ahead into the dual seats that were empty. Ally took the window seat that he was more than willing to give up for her. He watched her buckle up and settle in for the flight ahead of them while he tried to find a place to start. What did he say now? What would they talk about first - the time he announced to almost the entire world that he was going to be on spontaneous trip to Venice for her or the time when he ignored her text about taking a break? Maybe the first, maybe not, but definitely not the second. Ever.

"Do you still love me?"

Ally looked up at him after storing her small purse by her side. "What kind of question is that?"

"A big one. Do you still love me?"

Ally found his hand on the arm rest in between their seats and slid her fingers over the top of his. "Yes."

He barely heard the whisper, but he did hear it and it was all he needed. It was all he needed to hear in order to proceed with all the plans that had floated in his mind at 5 a.m. this morning and the same thoughts that he relayed to Scott, and to Dez, and to his label after his appearance on _Good Morning America_. She was all he needed. Twisting around just slightly in his seat, Austin leaned over and captured her lips with his. They still tasted of cinnamon, the best flavor in the world to him.

"You love me still too?"

Her words were soft as they parted for a breath. Now it was his turn to ask her how she could ask him that. He did just tell her to meet him in Venice on national television, after all. Of course he loved her. Eight months in and separated, Austin didn't have to think twice about that question. He knew the simple things when they started things up in Venice and in the middle of their texting and Skype dates and never ending phone calls during late nights, he found out even more about her. Like how she actually willed herself to learn to cook and made her roommate, and best friend Trish, try out all the recipes. She would never tell him her middle name and it was the source of many debates on how she knew his embarrassing one, but she was mum on hers. _My real first name is embarrassing enough_, she once told him.

He even found out more about her mom, which she had been adamant about not talking about. Even through all that when she was livid at her mom for doing something idiotic, he still loved her and he remembered wishing he was actually by her side so she could punch him instead of what was possibly the cutest stuffed animal he'd ever seen. And through all of it, he fell in love even more.

"I'm sorry Ally," he told her as the plane was in line on the runway, headed towards the skies. Austin tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear in possibly the most boyfriend thing to do. "I'm sorry I waited eight damn months."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to snap at you last night. You were in New York and all I wanted to do was see you and..."

"No, it's my fault. It's all my fault." Ally shook her head, telling him again, that it actually wasn't all his fault. He figured they were both to blame and that was the honest truth. She could've come to see him just like he could've come to see her. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he let his mouth hover over her forehead, kissing it softly. "I like blueberry tarts now."

He felt her smile on his skin.

"I do. I can't stand strawberry or cherry anymore. Suzetta's been sending me some from Venice and I give those ones to Dez and I take the blueberry ones."

"Wait, she sends you tarts from Venice? She hasn't sent me anything." Her pout played on her lips for only a moment when he kissed it away. "Just tell me she hasn't sent you coffee, because then I'd be really jealous."

Austin laughed. "I wish. Nothing compares to her coffee."

Her head went back into the crook of his neck and she pulled her legs up onto the roomy seat. This was how it should be; how it should've been all along. Her by his side while he traveled around the world singing for millions of people. It was what he wanted, but would she? Probably not. Ally had worked so hard for so long on her degree to get her job, which he knew had something to do with international relations between Italy and the US. She had told him all the logistics of it before, but he was still confused by it. But her job, it was important. Important to Italy, and important to her, which made it that much more important to him.

"I miss you," his voice was low and he couldn't tell if she was still awake or starting to fall asleep, but he was telling her all this anyhow. "I miss you so much. Sometimes it hurts to even call you because when I hear your voice, all I want to do is fold the country in half so we're right beside each other. I wanted a do-over for July and for August." He paused, nodding as Patricia came around to check on them and the other passengers.

"I missed you too." Her voice startled him a bit. She was still awake, thank God. "What are we going to do though? You live in Los Angeles. I'm in New York. I love you, Austin, but I don't know if spending another eight months apart...it's not going to work."

Austin squeezed her hand tighter. "You will not have to worry about that. I know what we're going to do."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"Well," he started, pausing as he took the armrest out from between them and pulled her as close as she could get to him. "First, we're going to go to Venice, because one, it's Venice and it's our city and two, we're already on our way. Then, when we get back to New York, you'll meet my manager and Dez, and most of the people behind Austin Moon because you're going to be labeled a rock star wife for the rest of your life. And after that, you and I are going apartment hunting."

Ally slid away from him for a moment, one of her eyebrows raised just a bit as she eyed him to see if he was indeed telling the truth. "Are you kidding me?"

"Not kidding. I've already made plans."

"Without telling me?"

"I thought...don't you want me..."

"That's not the issue, Austin. Of course, I want you there. But I don't want you giving up everything just for me; just because I live there and have to live there for the consulate. You shouldn't have to give up everything for me."

Austin grabbed her hands again, pulling them to his mouth to kiss her fingers quick. "Ally, that's not what I'm doing. Yes, being closer to you and being able to kiss you and be with you all the time is the best perk, if not the only perk of this whole situation, but I'm moving because New York has a lot to offer."

"Like..."

"Like, the fashion scene. I could write song after song about the wacky and wonderful fashion that goes on. I can write symphonies by just looking at someone who's marching to their own beat and don't get me started on the jazz clubs. You know that I'll be dragging you to any and all of them with me."

He watched her shake her head, not fully convinced of his plan. Maybe he wasn't clear enough.

"I love you and if moving to New York is what it takes to make this, us, work and last and last and last, I don't care about anything else. I just want you in my life. Forever." He brought her hands to his forehead as he dipped his head towards her. "Please don't tell me no. Don't tell me that I'm crazy and I should stay in Los Angeles, because that isn't what I want anymore."

"What do you want?"

Austin looked up at her, into her dark gold eyes that were not just searching for an answer. They were searching for the right answer. The one that would seal it all and let her know that he was still in it for the long haul. Taking a deep breath, he told her. "All of it. I want all of it. All of you and whatever else comes with it."

He leaned into Ally's hand as she cupped his cheek and rested his forehead against hers again. "I want to date you, truly date you and make you feel like a girlfriend should instead of just someone one has on the side like I'm sure I've been making you feel like. I want to show you off and introduce you to my family. I want to celebrate your birthday with you and I want to marry you. In Venice."

"Wait, what?" Ally's eyes popped open.

"One day, maybe one day soon, I'll take you back to Venice again and I'll marry you. I remember you telling me you wanted it on the island you took me too. At sunrise with just the twenty people in your life you trust the most. One day, that will happen, and I'll be the one by your side."

"You're really moving to New York?"

"Yes."

"And you're not moving just because of me?"

"No, and yes. The brilliance of my career is that I can really work from anywhere in the world."

"Was that song really for me?"

Austin smiled over at her, meaning she watched the whole program and nodded. "Did you like it?"

Ally nodded and it was all he needed. "If we're going to do this, like really do this, I think you need to prep me."

"Prep you?"

"What's it like to be a rock star's girlfriend?"

* * *

5 Months Later - New York City

Austin Monica Moon was many things. He was a great singer and an even greater dancer, but there were things that the world would never know; things that Ally Dawson would love to tell them. Like just how stupid silly he gets when he's drunk, which wasn't often, but when he was, it was hilarious and how he left his socks everywhere. Everywhere. Or how when German Chocolate Cake was mentioned anywhere, he'd be all over it like a dog on a bacon flavored bone.

The one that Ally was dying to tell everyone about though was just how much of a grandma's boy he was. Sure, he loved his mom and she even loved his mom, but when there was something with or about his grandmother, he dropped everything for her. It was sweet really. He also got super silly when he was drunk. Dez silly.

It was January and a blanket of fresh snow had dusted over the city of Brooklyn, where she was now sharing a spacious apartment with Austin. When they had returned from Venice a few months prior, Trish had practically thrown her out of their studio apartment they shared in Little Italy. Austin had crashed with them a few weeks - it was crowded, but it was the best feeling having him next to her every morning instead of through a phone - before he dragged her around the area looking at a few spaces for them to start their own life together.

Pulling on her coat and tossing his striped orange socks back into the bedroom, Ally started to head out towards the city. Austin had left hours earlier, preparing for a new performance on _Today_ where she'd be meeting him shortly. The moment they set foot back on American soil from their getaway to Venice, Ally had assumed the life of a rock star girlfriend...and so far, it wasn't too bad. New York paparazzi compared to Los Angeles paparazzi was mild, as he kept on telling her. But that was before there was a ring on her finger and before they made the decision together that now was the time to announce it to everyone. Everyone, meaning his shroud of fans.

His proposal over the Christmas holiday was out of a dream and it didn't take her two seconds or seeing a ring in a box to say yes. They were in a good groove, and when he promised to marry her in Venice one day, she was going to hold him to it and minutes after, already had Vittoria and Gianna on her phone with them screaming so loud she was sure the entire world could hear it.

Sending him a quick text about his socks and how he was on laundry duty tonight, Ally let her future husband know that she was on her way to Rockefeller Center and proceeded to text Dez and Scott about if Austin's directions he left for her were the ones to follow. As soon as she was there, thanks to a speedy train today, she was stuck to Dez' side, by Austin's orders.

"Don't take your gloves off yet," Austin told her, greeting her with a hello kiss before he was taken for a quick soundcheck. Not only were they announcing to the world that they were going to be married, he was also performing a new song from his album and one that she loved dearly. It wasn't an original, but the Achille Togliani song he'd fought to even record for his album. It had taken months and it was why his album was delayed a month so the song could be on it, but Austin debuted it and against all odds, it was a insanely big hit. She smiled recalling the kind words that Rolling Stone and Billboard had written about him. That was her rock star.

Scott tapped her on the shoulder, switching duties with Dez of watching over her. "I feel like I'm the First Lady or something," she joked between them.

"You kind of are right now."

She felt Scott look down at her while she fiddled with her hands, still hiding the ring that she really just wanted to flash in everyone's faces. Not that she would, she just didn't want to hide it anymore. Ally closed her eyes, leveling out her nerves that were taking over her body. Just one peek at the audience - not a newsflash, but it was packed - and she was going insane. Having prepped the consulate that she'd be taking the day off for some very important business the week before, Ally was hoping that this all would go smoothly and she wouldn't make a fool out of herself. She was known for that and Austin definitely knew that. After meeting most of his family, she remembered meeting his great grandfather and her sticking her foot in her mouth for most of their talk. Everything she said was odd and in true dorky Dawson fashion.

Running over every possible scenario in her head, Ally jumped just a bit when hands came over her shoulders. Thumbs started to rub over them and down her arms and she smiled as lips kissed her nose. Opening her eyes, she saw Austin smiling down at her and that was all she needed. Him, right there, beside her and calming her down.

"You ready to do this?" Austin pulled her hands up and into his, interlocking their fingers.

She nodded. "You just do all the talking."

"They're going to ask you some things too, you know." The moment he said that, her nerves sped right back up and he noticed. "Okay, breathe in, breathe out. I'll be right beside you."

She nodded again, leaning into him as he pulled his arms all around her. He was called a moment later and she followed him towards the sound stage, along with Dez and Scott beside her. Don't get her wrong, she liked being considered the First Lady here, but they were just not letting her breathe. Standing just to the side of the stage, Austin made sure to come back once he said hello to the anchors and latch onto her hand again. Looking up at him, she studied his profile and noticed just how calm he was. A big difference from the night before.

The night before, he was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement and nervousness. She didn't think he actually got to sleep until really early this morning and then he had to be up in mere hours to rehearse for the show. After this all was done, she'd be drugging him and sending him straight back to bed. As much as she liked the loopy, silly Austin, she liked him sane more. Ally felt the squeeze of her hand and got the tingles in her toes when he rubbed his thumb over her own. She loved when he did that.

"And we have a very special performance from Austin Moon today!" Savannah Guthrie announced to the audience which just cheered louder. "Rumor has it that he has a big announcement."

The anchor chatted with her co-host, Matt Lauer, about the big news of the day as the hour started and Ally nudged Austin in the side. "Hmm?"

"Do I look okay? I mean, I know you said last night it was the best and you wanted to take it off of me and all, but you were on a sugar high and since you're sane right now, I want to make sure."

Austin smiled at her. "Ally, you look beautiful," he leaned down to whisper the last part in her ear. "And I'm still tearing it off of you later." He kissed her quickly on the lips before giving her another on her forehead and Scott signaled for him to take his place at the piano. "Breathe, Ally. Just think, after this, I'll be able to say the word fiancee all the time."

"All the time," she repeated, kissing him again before he left her side and Dez came around in his place.

"You know he already says it all the time, right?"

"Just around you," Ally pointed out.

"Austin Moon! Welcome back to the show!" Ally turned her head and watched as Austin greeted the hosts again on camera before he slipped down and started to play the charming Italian tune that was casting a spell over the States. Who knew that old school was exactly what the music scene needed?

_Amore mio. Non ti ricordi che, nel dirmi addio_... Austin sang the lyrics to the crowd before looking over at her. _Mi tettesti all'occhiello una panse e mi dicesti, con la voce tremula. Non ti scordar di me_.

"We hear you have some exciting news for us," Matt hinted after talking with him about the song and why he chose that one to include on his album.

"I do, I do."

"Does this have anything to do with your gorgeous girlfriend that we see over on the sidelines?" Savannah gushed just as Scott waved her onto the stage and Austin grabbed her right hand in his. "It's so good to see you Ally."

She wasn't expecting a hug, or for the anchor to actually know who she was. But then again, she was a rock star's girlfriend. "Glad to be here."

"We have some big news actually," Austin spoke back up and looked over at Ally. "I'm insanely happy to tell the world that Ally Dawson is my fiancee."

"You're engaged?!" It was Matt that squealed more than Savannah before the band in the background started to play and congratulations were said all around. The crowd got louder before her ring came out to play and Savannah had to get a close up with the camera. "Moonpies, Austin is off the market!"

Ally was okay with that. Her ring was the prettiest thing she had ever seen in her life. It was classic and timeless and not too big. The 2.5 carat emerald cut diamond sat on the top of the dual band, that reconnected into one, like branches growing out of a tree. She spent hours just staring at it after he put it on her finger in December. It sparkled in every type of weather - Miami sunlight, New York snow; just everywhere. She was so protective about it that when Trish tried to convince her that her best friend should try it on, she literally ran away from her. Ten blocks.

"So, tell us the entire story," Savannah said as the crowd died down a bit. "How'd you two meet? Did he get down on one knee? When's the big day?"

Austin smiled down at her, the same smile that hooked her in the first place. The one that she said to herself, _yea, that's the guy I'm going to marry._

"We met in Venice."

**_Fine_**

* * *

_From the Author: I can't thank each and every follower enough for the support on this story. This was from the bottom of my idea pile that was collecting dust and I'm so glad I pulled it out for Austin and Ally. I couldn't have even made up two better characters for this story. I hoped you enjoyed the story!_

_Also, before you ask, there is no epilogue planned. But never say never..._


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